MAF UK Impact Report
This is MAF Mission Aviation Fellowship is a worldwide Christian organisation operating over 135 light aircraft in more than 30 countries. Around 276 flights every day transport patients, relief teams, medical supplies and Christian workers in the world’s remotest regions and places of deepest human need - places where flying is not a luxury but a lifeline.
www.maf-uk.org Photography Geoff Crawford, Michael Duncalfe, Alan Duncan, Andy Forman, Dave Forney, Richard Hanson, Layton Thompson
Mission Aviation Fellowship Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone CT20 2TN 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD Telephone: 0845 850 9505 Email: supporter.relations@maf-uk.org Registered charity in England and Wales (1064598) and in Scotland (SC039107)
2010
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Inside back
Message from the Chairman and the Chief Executive
MAF begins
Wings across the world
Reaching isolated communities
Powerful partnerships
Flying physical aid for physical need
Saving time, saving lives
Offering hope and help
Servant heroes
UK support
Future horizons
Financial activities
Contents Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 1
Message from the Chairman and the Chief Executive
MAF begins
Last year proved to be quite extraordinary in many ways...
A group of Christian airmen had witnessed the use of planes as instruments of destruction during World War II. As the War ended, they sought instead to find a way to use aircraft to do good for communities across the developing world
W
S
e faced challenges in the form of a global
On the following pages, we outline the key impacts
recession, rising costs and a disaster of
and outcomes of our work during 2010, and present some
immense proportions in Haiti. But as
examples from our operations to illustrate these.
each new challenge arose, Supporters
We trust that you will be inspired by what can be
like you responded to an extent that touched and
achieved when Supporters like you join with MAF UK
encouraged us enormously. We owe you a debt of deep
to be positive agents of change. By working together,
gratitude for all the miracles that you have helped to
we can help communities in the furthest reaches of the
bring about.
world to have a future that they can look forward to
The year had hardly begun when an earthquake
o MAF began. In 1950, we established our regular
Technology and transport have evolved considerably
aviation services in Sudan, taking people and
in the 65 years since we were founded. But the world is
supplies to the otherwise inaccessible swamp
still a very large place, and millions of people remain cut
regions of the south. Over the next two decades,
off by geography, conflicts or inadequate transportation
services were also launched in Kenya, Chad and Tanzania.
infrastructure. This is MAF’s territory, our place of
Today, MAF is an extensive professional international
mission. Our planes and our people are catalytic in
organisation operating more than 135 light aircraft in
enabling essential spiritual and physical care to reach
over 30 countries.
these, the most isolated communities on earth.
with confidence.
devastated Haiti. With the hurricane season just around the corner and the constant threat of cholera outbreaks, the MAF team worked tirelessly to support partner organisations in helping to rescue, treat and rehabilitate survivors. Generous donations totalling £200,000 ensured that, for the first three critical months after the disaster, we were able to fly round the clock with our pilots working on rotation, flying help to where it was critically needed. Fluctuating exchange rates and rapidly rising fuel costs led us to make a further appeal to your generosity. We were overwhelmed by your response, which brought in £840,000 – enough to cover our additional expenses and help keep our fleet of planes airborne for the remainder of the year.
Roger Mitty Chairman of Trustees
Ruth Whitaker Chief Executive
This included our PC12 in Kenya, restored to service after breakdown. Its capacity for long flights and carrying fragile cargos had been greatly missed, and almost immediately it was used to fly vital medication into South Sudan to avert an outbreak of the deadly parasitic infection kala-azar. As a result, hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives were saved. And this really typifies what MAF is able to achieve, with your support. At one level, we provide dedicated and dependable aviation services which enable over 1,400 partner organisations to reach more than 2,500 otherwise inaccessible communities. But the ultimate outcome of those partnerships is lives saved; health, sight and mobility restored; communities empowered; churches strengthened; peace and reconciliation promoted; and people nurtured. When our pilots turn to make a landing, and villagers hear the approaching plane, they know that hope is coming.
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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2010
• £10.3 million of donations • Over 9,000 new Supporters • Day of Prayer in over 500 churches • Over 2,000 new regular committed givers • Over 1,000 presentations at churches and events communications: new enews sent to • Online 10,000 Supporters, Facebook and Twitter, pilot blogs
communications: redesigned supporter • Printed magazine Flying for Life to 71,000 Supporters Stuart King and Jack Hemmings before original survey flight to East Africa
Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 3
WORLDWIDE IMPACTS 2010
• Countries served: over 30 • Communities reached: 2,690 • People transported: 201,710 • Cargo carried: over 7,300 metric tonnes
haiti
• Aircraft: 138 operational • Pilots: 148 • Engineers: 45 • Support staff: 777
Tanzania ‘I’ve worked in quite a
‘We couldn’t do this clinic
number of African countries
without MAF. With MAF,
and used MAF before.
we are able to guarantee a
But I would say that this
certain day of the month
is absolutely the kind of
and everyone knows they
country where MAF has a
must come on that specific
role to play because
day if they would like
distances are enormous, the
treatment. This consistent
roads are something else,
schedule as a result of MAF
and especially right now in
has vastly improved the
the rainy season, many
health of the community.’
roads are actually
Michael Mashuki, nurse, Birise clinic
impassable. This is
Bangladesh
MAF – A global organisation
CHAD
Wings across the world
“I can make trips that otherwise I couldn’t do. Using the Southern Shuttle saves me two days which I can ill afford to lose. The service is excellent and allows more time at the project.” Barbara Burroughs, Save the Children
absolutely a country where MAF is needed.’ Peter McClure, African Inland Mission
‘By organising hundreds of relief flights and delivering thousands of pounds of supplies, you’ve had a critical impact on Haiti’s
Papua-INDONESIA
recovery.’
sudan
Bill Clinton, Former US President
‘MAF is our lifeline. Without MAF, I couldn’t even be here. I’ve worked with 10 different tribes during the last 30 years, and have seen a
‘In a lot of places, we cannot
reachable by car or on foot. MAF doesn’t need a tarmac airstrip. As long as it’s long enough to land, they can land on soil or gravel. And that is exactly what we need as we go to remote places, often at short notice, as we respond to emergencies.’ Wendy van Amerongen, Medair, South Sudan
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vibrant church planted and
UGANDA
Some places are not
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
do our work without MAF.
coming to maturity among seven of them. I am truly grateful.’ Lois Belsey, The Christian and Missionary Alliance
‘Because we prepared the ‘Without MAF, it is impossible to bring our medical students who come from rural areas to be trained.’ Dr Paul Omelebati, Medical Director, Hospital Gamba in Isiro
airstrip and MAF is coming, other agencies have come to work here – ADRA and UNICEF. No one would travel on the roads now.’ Simon Nangiro, Oxfam
Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 5
Reaching isolated communities Twenty-first century developments in technology and transportation may have brought progress to many parts of the world, but some places remain as inaccessible as ever
R
ugged mountains, dense rainforest, swamps, a
our twice-weekly shuttle service takes various NGOs to
widely dispersed population of over six million,
where they are needed. Wes Johnson of Baptist Mission says,
and the constant threat of earthquakes,
‘The work on the islands in the south is logistically impractical to carry out without MAF.’
volcanic eruptions and tsunamis from a
location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The physical conditions in Papua New Guinea daunt
Sometimes isolation is down to
the most determined of construction engineers and an integrated road and rail system remains a dream. Little wonder that MAF’s small aircraft carry more cargo and people here than anywhere else in the world. Glenda Giles, Headmistress of Oksapmin High School in Tekin says, ‘MAF is our only link to
the outside world.’
In 2010, we made over 15,000 flights, but our pilots received requests for double this amount. The Ganges-Brahmaputra River Delta in southern
reasons of humanity rather than geography. Decades of internal conflict severely curtailed Chad’s development. There are only 166 miles of paved road in a country 5 times the size of the UK, and MAF’s flights provide a lifeline between remote communities and the international aid and mission agencies that seek to meet their needs.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
• 16 planes passengers, 2,688 tonnes freight to • 43,602 262 destinations • Average journey: 28 minutes, 52 miles • 41 partner organisations served BANGLADESH
• 1 plane: C208 amphibious Cessna Caravan approved water landing sites, and 7 approved • 300 land airports passengers, over 300kg of freight to 47 • 1,749 destinations • Average journey: 44 minutes, 100 miles • 168 partner organisations served
and UNICEF rely on MAF flights to transport their staff safely to help desperate communities in the north-west; the alternative land journey carries a constant threat of
millions of people live here, mostly subsistence farmers.
attack from local bandits. In these and many other countries, MAF’s planes,
but in MAF’s eight-seater amphibious aircraft, the
pilots and dedicated support staff ensure that the
journey is just minutes. In partnership with UKaid
barriers are overcome, and help gets through to those
from the Department for International Development,
who need it.
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MAF has a fleet of 138 light aircraft able to operate in areas with inadequate or no transport links
In Uganda, dozens of NGOs including Oxfam, AMREF
Bangladesh covers over 40,000 square miles. Many Reaching the area by road and river can take two days,
Fact file
Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 7
Powerful partnerships: mission multiplier Across more than 30 countries, MAF provides aviation services to 1,488 national and international partners
T
Fact file MEDAIR relied on MAF flights in South Sudan to:
18,741 children in 56 schools • Provide with educational materials 20,000 households soap, chlorine • Give tabs and hygiene advice during a Hepatitis E outbreak
hese include well-known organisations such
We delivered a consignment of 4,000
as Department for International Development
pocket radios to communities in the
(DFID), European Commission, Oxfam,
swamp areas, so that they could listen to
UNICEF, The Salvation Army, Wycliffe Bible
health, education and Gospel programmes
Translators, Save the Children, Tearfund, Christian
broadcast by Aid Sudan. Their Country
Blind Mission, Food for the Hungry, Africa Inland
Director Kerry Henderson says,
Mission, AMREF and Helen Keller International. For two decades, Africa’s largest country Sudan has been torn apart by civil war between the Muslims in the north and the indigenous African Christians in the south. Two million people died during the conflict, 360,000 people are refugees within their own land and, for now, the country currently depends heavily on external aid.
‘Without MAF, we couldn’t do what we do because Sudan is logistically so difficult to get in and out of.’ Dr Alain Nazair Mbongo-Zindamoyen of Christian Blind Mission agrees. ‘Without your services,
access to the people in the remote areas is not possible. We can have the knowledge to help people, but it won’t serve them if we can’t reach them.’
water to over 10,000 people • Bring through 8 new boreholes and 3 handdug wells
• Give 1,399 antenatal care sessions 700 people to form village health • Train teams 225 child-headed households • Supply with goats for income generation 48 orphans who had been • Counsel former child soldiers
In Bangladesh, we serve 168 partner organisations. Our regular shuttle service from Dhaka to southern Bangladesh has opened up new opportunities for them. For example, Helen Keller International serves over 20,000 people in southern Bangladesh; their projects include helping women to grow their own food for better nutrition and income generation. HEED (Health, Education and Economic Development) also uses MAF regularly; following cyclone Sidr they facilitated the building of ten large cyclone shelters, one sheltering over 6,000 people. They also run an extensive microcredit scheme to help vulnerable women set up their own businesses. Our partner organisations rely on us to get them to thousands of communities that would otherwise remain unreached and unhelped.
Getting aid to them is a challenge: South Sudan is mostly swamp. The war left no working rail infrastructure. The international airport, such as it is, has few facilities, equipment or trained staff. So more than 100 aid and mission organisations rely on MAF for transport. The statistics speak for themselves. In 2010, we carried over 7,500 passengers and more than 389 tonnes of aid and equipment to, from and around Sudan, flying mainly from our bases in Uganda and Kenya.
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Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 9
Flying physical aid for physical need Around 8 million children under 5 die each year from preventable or curable diseases
O
ver two million people die of an AIDS-related
teams from Kikuyu Eye Hospital near Nairobi. During
illness. Millions of people across the globe
one visit in 2010, they restored the sight – and ultimately
simply cannot reach the health facilities that
the lives – of around 200 people.
exist – so MAF takes medical care to them.
Villagers in Madundas in south-western Tanzania
used to have to walk for three days to reach their nearest healthcare centre. At times, flooding made the journey
‘We held free healthcare and dental clinics at 5 villages across the region, saw 1,665 patients and performed dozens of cataract surgeries. In addition, we were able to educate approximately 500 students at 5 public high schools about HIV/AIDS. This part of Kenya faces one of the highest infection rates in the world, yet many people hold dangerously false beliefs about the disease.’
In south-western Kenya, World Gospel Mission operates a mobile medical and dental clinic in and around Lake Victoria in places only easily reachable by plane. Further round the Lake, over the border in Uganda, we
impossible. Now a team of medics from Chimala’s Brandt
fly the Ugandan Medical and Dental Mission to Burkasa
Mission Hospital flies in to visit them instead, treating
Island. The alternative route involves an exhausting
up to 300 people in one visit. MAF operates ‘flying safaris’
eight-hour journey by small boat across a stretch of water
like this across the country, enabling medical teams
as wide as the English Channel. But after their 20-minute
to reach thousands who may otherwise not be able to
flight, the team arrives refreshed and ready for hard work,
access essential treatment.
and able to treat 500 people during their one -day visit.
In remote eastern Kenya on the border with Somalia
World Gospel Mission Team leader Pastor Kevin reports,
In the developing world where the welfare state is an
stands Dadaab, home to 300,000 refugees and the largest
unknown concept, restoring health means nothing less
such camp in the world. MAF flies in visiting medical
than the restoration of a life.
Fact file TANZANIA
• Fleet size: 5 aircraft • 4,017 passengers, 19 tonnes of cargo carried • Average journey: 47 minutes, 101 miles KENYA
• Fleet size: 6 aircraft • 8,179 passengers (including 5,365 to/from Sudan) • 395 tonnes cargo (344 tonnes bound for Sudan) • Average journey: 74 minutes, 195 miles
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Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 11
Saving time, saving lives Haiti, 12 January 2010: a devastating earthquake reduced the main city of Port-au-Prince to rubble as buildings toppled like cards
O
ver 300,000 died, a similar number were
Not all disasters make the headlines. In Sudan’s
injured, and over one million were left
remote southern swamplands, an outbreak of kala-azar
homeless. With the country’s infrastructure
was infecting over 30 new victims a day. This parasitic
all but destroyed, MAF planes and crews
infection of the liver,
became a vital means of reaching and helping the
spleen and bone
survivors rapidly.
marrow is usually
MAF has been based in Haiti since 1986, so our
fatal if left untreated.
geographical and practical knowledge of the country
It was therefore
helped us to serve aid and mission partner organisations
essential to get life-
as they set out to rescue and rebuild. For those without
saving medication
a base of their own in the country, our facilities at the
to the community as
airport served as a logistical and operational centre.
quickly as possible.
For 3 months, our planes covered 35,000 miles, flown
MAF’s newly restored PC12 aircraft flew ten tonnes of
almost continuously by a team of pilots on rotation.
glucantime in from Kenya to medical teams waiting on
During this time, we carried 1,801 passengers including
the ground.
injured survivors, medical personnel and aid teams, and
Dr Jill Seaman of Old Fangak Primary
transported 158 tonnes of tarpaulins, food, hygiene kits
Health Care Centre shares: ’Over 3,500
and water purification systems to help survivors. For Operation Blessing alone, we dropped 1,500 food boxes. The work continued throughout the year, financed in part by our UK Supporters who, along with the Scottish
people have been treated, each getting 17 daily injections to fight the disease.’ In life-and-death situations, when time
government, generously donated over £200,000 towards
is of the essence, MAF’s planes and support teams can be
the relief effort.
the vital difference.
Fact file: Pilatus PC12
Fact file: Kodiak 100
Stationed in Kenya
on Jet Fuel, rather than expensive and • Runs scarce Avgas use shorter, less accessible airstrips than • Can our Cessna Caravans than twice the useful load of our • More Cessna 206s positioned to Haiti to help with flights • Kodiak post earthquake
cruising – ideal for medical emergency • High flights or transporting fragile cargo • Carries 1,250kg freight or 10 passengers more payload further and faster than • Carries any other plane in the fleet on jet fuel – cheaper and more easily • Runs available than Avgas
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Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 13
Offering help and hope In countries divided by conflict, the wounds can run deep. For true and lasting peace, healing needs to take place at all levels of society
M
AF helps to facilitate the work of partner
African pastors and local leaders in leadership skills,
organisations in bringing together those
and promote forgiveness and reconciliation within their
with opposing views to rediscover their
communities.
shared humanity.
Nomadic Muslims occupy Chad’s northern desert,
while subsistence farmers, mostly Christian, inhabit
In the north-east of the country, Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) teaches practical veterinary skills and animal husbandry to local people. This provides a channel through which to promote peace between opposing peoples, which is a particular passion of founder Dr Val Shean. MAF supports CVM’s mission by flying teams across Uganda to where their skills are needed. Dr Shean says,
‘MAF has been a critical factor in both the peace work that we do and in the other ministries.’ We are honoured to be part of the sensitive process of peacemaking, through bringing together those who want to lay aside their differences, and the peace-builders who help them find ways to do so.
settlements in the temperate south. These two distinct groups have long had their disagreements. Refugees from Darfur in Sudan and the Central African Republic add to the tensions. MAF transported emissaries from UNICEF, CARE International and members of the Chadian Ministry for Social Services to northern Chad to discuss the setting up of rehabilitation programmes for children who have been affected by fighting, notably child soldiers. The extensive talks with local leaders have led to support for the plans. It’s just one step on the long road to peace. Uganda is more stable now than in the immediate aftermath of the Amin and Obote dictatorships, but
(African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries)
‘If MAF hadn’t flown in the peace conference’s facilitator, there would have been great strife. They were our Wings of Peace.’
reach central Uganda with MAF’s help, where they train
Seth le Leu, Country Director, World Vision Sudan
armed bandits threaten travellers to the north of the country and tribal conflict is rife. Teams from ALARM
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Servant heroes Fact file: MAF UK currently have 36 members of • We overseas staff more families or individuals are • Eight likely to start service during 2011 families of our international staff go • The with them on the posting, so we meet
Each of the 86,363 flights we made in 2010 took a team of extraordinary people to make it happen
and interview spouses as part of the recruitment process
is not unusual for our pilots and • Itengineers to serve a
second term of four years, bringing their total service with MAF to eight years or more. During their posting, MAF UK provides ongoing pastoral care to ensure that they feel connected and valued.
G
iven the nature of the work, our requirements
Our local ground teams show similar dedication: Kenyan
are exacting and the right people, particularly
Gladys Katuku is an MAF engineer in Tanzania. She was the
pilots and engineers, are rare.
only woman in her class of 2003 to graduate with a degree
Pilots must be highly qualified. Engineers,
in aeronautical engineering. On-the-job training with MAF
if not fully qualified, may have to sign up to three years
helped her to gain licences in new skills. Even now, after a
of training. They must be mature Christians, able to
long day’s work, the evening is spent studying for still more
deal reflectively with setbacks. Extensive psychometric
qualifications. Her ultimate ambition?
tests ensure that they will be able to cope with the demands of the job. They will be living as part of the local community in conditions that are challenging, even harsh. Additionally, their work may involve long days and irregular hours, flying in conflict zones and adapting quickly when plans change. Pilot Andrew Parker, stationed in Tanzania, says, ‘just when you
think that you know where you’ll be for the next few days, something is bound to turn up to change it all.’ Many MAF pilots and engineers need to adapt from
material wealth and independence to a small salary. They stay in the country to which they are posted for several years, and must adapt quickly to a very different culture and challenging environment and dependence on sponsors. They need to raise £100,000 in just 100 days to cover their costs for their 4-year term. MAF provide, extensive training and support to help them succeed, but it’s still a major challenge.
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‘I would love to be a pilot-engineer with my very own aircraft to fly missionaries in remote rural areas,’ Gladys says. ‘That would be great.’
Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 17
UK support Our Supporters are as essential as our volunteers and staff. Here, we celebrate some of the ways in which you have helped us over the last year:
O
ur dedicated team of volunteers has
people who signed up to make regular gifts. These enable
expanded to 987 people. Our highly trained
us to plan for the future and make commitments to
Area Representatives gave over 1,000 public
long-term projects.
talks about MAF in 2010.
Our Church Representatives kept their own church
In October, over 500 churches took part in our Day of Prayer. The theme was ‘Friend of the Poor’ and centred
congregations updated with our news, and other
on the journey taken by a young mother to get medical
volunteers ran prayer groups. Volunteers also helped
help for her sick child. And our youth programme Above
to set up and man our interactive trailer on its journey
and Beyond took another step forward with the
across Britain as we introduced the work of MAF to the
production of a Youth Worker Resource pack.
public at events such as the Farnborough International Airshow. We were delighted that 9,000 new Supporters joined MAF during 2010. We are also truly grateful to the 2,000
We are very fortunate that some people remember MAF when celebrating key milestones in their lives. David and Alison made a major donation to mark their company’s 25th anniversary. David says, ‘we were thrilled to learn that our success could make a significant difference to the lives of thousands of isolated people. We would strongly encourage you to consider how you may be able to help.’ Other Supporters have told us that they plan to help us beyond their lifetime. Professor Denys Mead says,
’My wife and I are privileged to help this work already. Our planned legacy to MAF will be our contribution to its future.’ Finally, we are very grateful to our institutional donors for their contributions to significant projects.
KEY PARTNERSHIPS from the Department for International • UKaid Development (DFID) – Southern Shuttle service (Bangladesh)
of Man Overseas Aid Committee – enabled • Isle humanitarian aid/relief to reach northern Uganda Overseas Aid Commission • Jersey – hangar refurbishment and housing (Papua New Guinea), aircraft tug and replacement vehicle (Uganda) and medical safaris (Tanzania)
Scottish government – support for Haiti following • The the earthquake sincere thanks also to The Lancaster Foundation, • Our Maurice and Hilda Laing Charitable Trust and the Phyllis Little Memorial Trust.
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Impact Report Mission Aviation Fellowship UK 19
Future horizons... flying into tomorrow
Financial activity Illustration of financial activities for the year to 31 December 2010
MAF enables some of the world’s remotest communities to receive the essentials of life; with your help, we can spread our wings even wider
O
ur mission is to see isolated people physically and spiritually transformed. Sometimes this means giving urgent help during emergencies.
REPORT 2010 OPERATIONS
Much of the time, it means being there for the long
haul, providing a reliable and efficient service to mission agencies, other NGOs and governments that are assisting some of the poorest communities in the world. Our Supporters are vital and valued partners in this process. Please stand with us, and help make a lasting
Income £10.316 million
difference in forgotten places. You can do this through financial giving, and through your prayers and also your time. If you are considering making a gift to MAF, here are ways in which your gift can be used:
us to meet growing demands for flights • Helping for our partner organisations • Meeting increasing fuel costs • The purchase of vital equipment • Developing new airstrips our pilots, engineers, managers and • Supporting IT specialists • Essential aircraft maintenance costs. For more information, please call us on 0845 850 9505
77.2% Donations (£7,987,000) 8.9% International staff support (£889,000) 13.8% Legacies (£1,425,000) 0.1% Investment income (£15,000)
Expenditure £9.361 million
or email supporter.relations@maf-uk.org
‘On every occasion we have flown with MAF, we have been deeply impressed by their professionalism, helpfulness and kindness. We could never fulfil our demanding and complicated programme schedules without MAF’s services. They are a superb example of Christian love in action, and we hope they will be able to expand their services to reach more people in need.’ Baroness Cox – HART (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust)
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78.2% Charitable activities (£7,323,000) 0.3% Governance costs (£27,000) 21.5% Cost of generating funds (£2,011,000)