The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 28 October 2025.
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, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)".
Objectives and aims
The objectives of the Charity are to raise awareness of the value of the natural heritage of nomadic regions through education and the provision of financial, technical and other assistance.
Public benefit
In planning the Charity's activities for the period, the Trustees kept in mind the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The focus of the Charity's activities during the period, which explains the delivery by the Charity of public benefit, is set out below under 'Achievements and performance' and above under 'Objectives and aims'.
The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.
Charitable activities
The Trust's objectives have continued in the South Sinai province of Egypt with the majority of work being carried out in St Katherine's City and in the surrounding high mountains and wadis. The political situation in the country has continued to remain stable.
Activities and Projects
The Charity’s activities have continued to follow the proven schedule though with some three project trips to Sinai during the charity year instead of four. Incoming funds enabled the commencement of forty-one new well restorations, which was just a little short of the fifty restorations set for the year. However, because the number of completed restorations was actually fifty-one, it is heartening to recognise that the project continues with the restoration of bedouin wells at a steady pace year after year.
The major hurdle for our beneficiaries and our work has been the ongoing drought, since 2019, which was the last time there was good rainfall. As a consequence, the water table continues to fall, reducing the level of water in the wells. In fact the levels are so low in summer that most bedouin are struggling to grow vegetables for their families as well as keeping their orchard trees alive. Even the small orchard tree represents an investment of many years of care and so the bedouin will put its needs before their own. Inevitably, there is a great deal of concern about the future with insufficient water for everyone.
Although tourism visits to St Katherine’s monastery have increased, giving more work to guides and camel men, there have been very few people visiting or trekking in the high mountains, providing little work for mountain guides, cooks, camel men or income for garden owners.
The reconstruction of St Katherine’s continues because the project is not yet complete following six years in the making. However, the end is in sight, with only internal fitments of the apartment blocks and landscaping to be completed. Meanwhile there continues to be major disruption in the town whilst roads continue to be excavated for the various services.
As supporters of the bedouin communities of South Sinai, the charity’s plans will be adapted to meet the emerging situation. Consequently, there has been more emphasis on projects in the wider environs of St Katherine's and also in supporting the town’s population with further water sources. It is recognised that many families spend the long summer months, when there is no school, in their mountain gardens and so the need for well restoration further afield is also important. At present the aim is to continue with the current projects but tailored to meet the current situation.
Wells
The Trust has been helping with the restoration of ancient garden wells for just over 15 years now and at the year end the number of completed restorations reached the substantial number of 700. A milestone which the charity is proud of having achieved. This represents local access to water for an estimated 41,000 bedouin men, women and children. With an increased supply of clean water they are able to drink more and so have improving health, grow vegetables for food and cash crops, plant trees which survive and keep goats and camels; all of which enables them to live more sustainable and independent lives, whilst proudly preserving their culture and heritage. The currently reduced water supply, however does allow some bedouin from other towns on the coast nearby to bring their grazing animals into the desert highlands during summer months supporting their income.
The wells are especially important, because they are the only source of clean water in the region, although the lack of rain for nearly six years now has made life somewhat challenging. Without the charity’s work over the last 15 years, the number of functioning wells would have dropped considerably, leading to severe hardship.
During the year four key wells however were identified for their potential in providing a greater supply of water and have been given extra resources to ensure they keep operating. These wells are community wells from which many bedouin draw water.
The actual number of restored wells at the end of the financial year was 700 (comprising 347 orchard garden wells and 353 community drinking wells). As there are still several hundred garden well owners, clearly there is still more work to be done and it is hoped to widen the project area, because there are a number of locations where the annual rainfall has been virtually zero now for a number of years, and where many wells require restoration to support the population living there.
Dams
During September two of the trustees organised a journey through Sinai Journeys Ltd, taking 11 participants trekking in the mountains to build another dam, on this occassion in Wadi Gibal in the high mountains.
It is pleasing to report the 24 existing dams continue to function despite the build-up of silt within them since they were created; and whilst there may have been little rainfall over a number of years, the dams have certainly assisted in increasing the supply of water to nearby wells. It is anticipated that there will be further dam building journeys during the next year.
St Katherine's Carpentry School
It had been hoped to restart the carpentry school courses following the pandemic, but the impact of the new building project by the government has meant that few young men have come forward, preferring to take local paid labouring work. Additionally, it is understood that the Ministry of Education has tightened up regulations regarding teaching qualifications, making it impossible for the carpenter Ahmed Oda to continue teaching carpentry skills. Employing a qualified teacher from the technical college in Suez would unfortunately create too many practical challenges. It is sad that this project has no longer become viable and so the school has been closed.
Orphan Herb Project
The bedouin teacher for this project has continued to work with the University of Alexandria where he advises medical students about the medicinal benefits of indigenous herbs from Sinai. This takes up a considerable amount of his time and so sadly he has not been able to continue with new courses. It is pleasing nevertheless to have had such an esteemed teacher for the students. On a positive note a recent visit found that the original students were still tending their herb gardens and selling the herbal produce, all helping towards their family income. The project has successfully helped around 20 children who were in difficult circumstances following the death of their father. Some of the original students are now married and have started their own families. The knowledge acquired whilst they were younger continuing to be of benefit to the new family.
St Katherine's Library
Since the library was closed during the pandemic, the acquisition of a new facility in a public building has not materialised. Therefore during the year thought was given to the use of a bedouin building. However there is the challenge that bedouin buildings are owned primarily by men and because the facility would be for women and children there will be several hurdles, shall we say, to overcome.
Seedbank
This very small project has continued to support the bedouin gardens with access to quality seeds. A bedouin gardener, Mahmoud Hassan, is given a quantity of vegetable seeds in the spring and the autumn which he stores and sells to bedouin gardeners at a nominal cost. Mahmoud also grows some of the seeds himself to provide a greater quantity for distribution during the following year. He has a large polytunnel where he is able to grow tomatoes, courgettes, sweetcorn and rocket and saves the seeds they produce. It is good that he is now assisted in his work by an Egyptian botanist who fortunately lives close by.
ERIK (Essentials, Repairs and Incidentals Kitty)
This project has been able to bring benefit to a number of bedouin in many ways. The first beneficiary was a bedouin who had his garden wall demolished, leaving it open to marauding goats, camels and donkeys and the fund paid for a wire fence to encompass his garden. Subsequent projects have included; funding a water tank for a remote community, enabling the safe storage of water for distribution directly to bedouin homes; the replacement of a pump and garden hose; and funds to support the building of a further water tank in a remote area for an expanding garden, future proofing the garden for the next generation.
In Sinai, a water tank is known as a birka requiring a large quantity of expensive cement together with a supply of steel bars to support the tank roof, keeping out sunlight and reducing algae growth. These birkas are considered a precious commodity by the bedouin and during the year another community requested financial assistance towards building their own community birka.
The advantage of a substantial birka being built above a community allows water from several higher wells to feed into the one tank, ensuring a continual gravity fed supply of water through hoses to the houses below. Building a birka in such a location is akin to providing on-tap water to a village, the people benefitting being primarily women and children.
Women's Weaving, Textiles and Handicrafts Project
This new project is focused on increasing the family income of impoverished bedouin families in South Sinai, the Mouzaina Tribe with around 12,000 people, covering a large part of the territory in the southern half of Sinai. Income is mostly derived from selling their grazing sheep and goats, but sadly the income is generally too small to sustain a reasonable family life.
During the year the Mouzaina Tribe chief, Sheilk Mousa asked for assistance in funding a project which in essence allows the sheep and goats to be sheared and the wool sold to weavers within the Tribe, allowing them to produce bags and rugs for sale to tourists. The project will also allow other handicrafts to be made for sale, and the income provided will ensure the bedouin can buy food, pay for any medical bills, and make school uniforms, so that children can attend school, not least. Clearly the sheilk is both wise and farsighted, and wishes to open a shop in a prominent location where tourists will be able to buy these Mouzania-made handicrafts, a meaningful way to empower the womenfolk of this Tribe.
Investment policy and objectives
Due to the relatively low level of funds available for investment, the Trustees consider that bank deposits provide a satisfactory return to the Charity.
Reserves policy
The Trustees annually review the Reserves Policy bearing in mind the current and anticipated financial performance of the charity. The Trustees consider it appropriate for there to be sufficient Unrestricted Funds to cover six months unrestricted charitable expenditure in the unlikely event that there is a material reduction in income.
Based on the Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 28 October 2025, unrestricted charitable expenditure, excluding project costs, amounted to £4,762 (2024: £882) and consequently the policy would require unrestricted funds as at 28 October 2025 of £2,381 (2024: £441). The actual unrestricted funds, excluding designated funds, were £39,691 (2024: £37,535), which therefore shows a surplus from the reserves policy of £37,310 (2024: £37,094).
The Trustees have carefully reviewed the surplus to the reserves policy and have concluded that it will be principally utilised by the creation of further wells which will fully benefit the bedouin populace, in addition to providing additional financial support for the other ongoing programs as needed.
The programs currently undertaken, particularly the wells project, continue to address the fundamental essentials of life, the provision of water, providing life sustenance food and education. With the restoration of 700 wells to date, capable of providing a good supply of clean water to both garden families and to local communities, supporting a most substantial number of bedouin, the charity’s objectives are clearly being met.
In supporting the Sheilk of the Mouzania Tribe in his farsightedness, for his 12,000 strong tribe the charity is bringing forward not only education and a level of prosperity to his people together with a pride and happiness in their new way of life, as they rise to their newfound challenges.
The charitable objectives of providing relief (water and food) through financial support in order to protect the natural, cultural and spiritual heritage of a nomadic region, by supporting the bedouin people and their ancient gardens is clearly being met, together with a wide educational program. Wide in the sense that as each project is undertaken, the bedouin themselves, through participation and regardless of age, acquire further knowledge which helps them in their daily life. Without such projects their awareness and personal growth of what can be accomplished would be that much the poorer.
Additionally the journeys undertaken to South Sinai from the UK introducing people to the culture and landscape of the bedouin people promotes the advancement of knowledge and education with those members of the public wishing to experience such a precious opportunity.
Governing document
The charity is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 6 November 2002.
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
The power to appoint new trustees is vested in surviving and continuing trustees.
Organisational structure
The Charity is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, and therefore it has no share capital. In the event of the company being wound up and the liabilities and winding up expenses being in excess of assets, the liability of each member is limited to £1.
The charity is controlled by a Board of Trustees, which meets on a regular basis.
Risk management
The Trustees actively review the major risks that the Charity faces on a regular basis and believe that maintaining its current reserves policy, combined with an annual review of the controls over key financial systems, will provide sufficient resource for the Charity going forward. The Trustees have also examined other operational and business risks faced by the Charity and confirm that they have established systems to mitigate the significant risks.
The trustees, who are also the directors of The Makhad Trust for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of The Makhad Trust (the charity) for the year ended 28 October 2025.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006 and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act 2011.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the Companies Act 2006.
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the financial statements give a true and fair view, which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
The Makhad Trust is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Wolseley House, Oriel Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1TH, United Kingdom.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" and the Charities SORP "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)". 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 not to prepare a statement of cash flows.
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. 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 can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.
Fixed asset investments are initially measured at transaction price excluding transaction costs, and are subsequently measured at fair value at each reporting date. Changes in fair value are recognised in net income/(expenditure) for the year. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred.
During the year, two of the trustees received £15,074 (2024: £17,960) on an arms' length basis for services contracted and for associated travel expenses.
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charity is exempt from taxation on its activities because all its income is applied for charitable purposes. It is not, however, exempt from VAT and irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
The restricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used.
Ancient Garden Wells Programme
Project to restore the Bedouin Gardens in the high mountains of South Sinai and assistance with wells to alleviate lack of drinking water in St Katherine and outlying communities.
Orphan Herb Gardens
Project to support fatherless children by teaching growing of indigenous herbs as a future trade and to support Traditional Bedouin Heritage. Project closed.
Carpentry Project
Project to teach Bedouin young men a lifelong skill, carpentry. Project closed.
Dam Build 2020
An anonymous donation towards the costs of dam building in 2020.
Garden drying racks
Project to help women garden owners to give added value to orchard crops.
Solar Pump Project
Project, yet to commence, to investigate the potential for, and benefits of, installing solar powered pumps in wells in the mountains of Sinai.
Bedouin Cooperative
Project to enable the Bedouin to set up their own cooperative to enable them to work together on the sale or the purchase of large equipment such as an olive press.
ERIK Emergency
Project to support Bedouin who have need of funds to secure a water supply through the building of a water tank or provision of hoses or to secure an orchard garden if walls are lost to flood damage.
Laundry Project
Project for the construction of a laundry at Eid's garden, which has successfully created a communal place for women to meet and to wash clothes and large items like blankets.
Weaving and Textiles
Project to revive a weaving and textiles venture initiated by the EU many years ago for the financial benefit of the women of the Mouzaina tribe.
Transfers between funds
Transfers are made between restricted and unrestricted funds at the end of every accounting period in cases where:
i) the activity of the restricted fund has come to an end and there is an unspent balance that is not
repayable to the funder(s), when the surplus is transferred to unrestricted funds; or
ii) the restricted fund has come to an end and there is no prospect of a surplus in a later period, when
the deficit is eliminated by transfer from unrestricted funds.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
Designated funds
Bedouin Community Fund
Funds set aside for specific community projects.
During the year, two of the trustees received £15,074 (2024: £17,960) on an arms' length basis for services contracted and for associated travel expenses.
During the year, M R Ratcliffe Consultants Ltd, a company of which one of the trustees is a director and shareholder, recharged expenses to the Trust totalling £3,549 (£4,752).
During a previous period, one of the trustees loaned the Trust £2,000 for working capital, which was repaid in full during the year. At the year-end, the trustee was owed £nil (2024: £2,000).
Various funders retain the right to claw back grants should the use of the funds not be in accordance with the terms of the grant. In the opinion of the trustees no such liability exists at the year end.