01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC037540
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- Overseas only
- Volunteers
- 0 volunteers
- Staff
- 0
- Postcode
- G63 0TX
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
Educational opportunities for girls in Malawi, in particular at secondary level, are very limited. The Chesney Trust was set up in 2006 specifically to work with the local community in Engcongolweni, in the north of Malawi, to build and help run a girls' secondary boarding school, and to provide bursaries for those whose parents/carers cannot pay the school fees. Thanks to donations from the Erskine Stewarts Melville Schools in Edinburgh, grants from funding bodies and donations from many individuals, the Trust was able to fund the construction of two double classroom blocks and a hostel, and the provision of water from a borehole which allowed the school (known as the Edinburgh Girls' High School) to be opened in 2012. Subsequent funded construction of additional hostels and other school buildings has allowed the school roll to increase to 265. We will continue to work with the Chesney Trust (Malawi) Board, based in Mzuzu and the head teacher to further develop the school.
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of health
Beneficiaries
- Children or young people
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The objects of The Chesney Trust are:- a) To advance education of girls in Northern Malawi by means of funding a project to build a secondary school, including a department for girls with hearing impairment and by the funding of bursaries. b) To provide health facilities, including antenatal care and improve the infrastructure (roads, water, electricity, employment opportunities) of the surrounding area for the benefit of the local community.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 July 2025 | £23,502 | £32,869 | 0 | 14 December 2025 |
| 31 July 2024 | £35,317 | £30,357 | 0 | 4 December 2024 |
| 31 July 2023 | £55,936 | £60,603 | 0 | 11 December 2023 |
| 31 July 2022 | £24,991 | £33,126 | 0 | 17 March 2023 |
| 31 July 2021 | £47,373 | £39,229 | 0 | 31 January 2022 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- Dunmore Cottage, 44 Dunmore Street, Balfron
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.chesneytrust.org
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.