Frequently Asked Questions

BUDS-UK stands for Batticaloa Underprivileged Development Society – United Kingdom. We are a UK registered charity (No. 1081305) founded in 1986 to serve the most marginalised communities in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.

Yes. BUDS-UK is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under charity number 1081305. Our accounts are publicly available on the Charity Commission website.

All of our programs operate in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province, primarily in and around Batticaloa, Kattankudy, Valaichenai, and Eravur.

Over 95p in every £1 reaches our programs directly. Our UK committee is entirely voluntary with no paid staff and no office costs, which means your money works as hard as possible.

Yes. When donating online, you can choose to direct your donation to Education, Shelter, Medical Aid, Livelihoods, Drug Rehabilitation, or Special Needs. Alternatively, you can leave it as "Where needed most" and we will allocate it to the program with the greatest current need.

You can set up a recurring payment directly through PayPal when making your donation. For bank standing orders, please contact us at president@budsuk.org and we will send you our bank details.

Yes. Please contact us at president@budsuk.org for our bank account details. To donate by cheque, make it payable to "BUDS-UK" and post to 98 Kings Road, Harrow, HA2 9JQ.

Gift Aid is a UK government scheme that allows charities to reclaim 25p in tax on every £1 donated by a UK taxpayer. This means that a £10 donation becomes £12.50 to us at no extra cost to you.

You are eligible if you are a UK taxpayer and have paid at least as much Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax as the Gift Aid we claim on your donation. If you are unsure, please check with HMRC.

When donating online, simply tick the Gift Aid checkbox and confirm you are a UK taxpayer. We will handle the reclaim from HMRC. For offline donations, please ask for a Gift Aid declaration form.

We welcome volunteers with a range of skills, from fundraising and communications to finance and event planning. Visit our Volunteer page to see current roles and how to apply.

Not at all. We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds. A passion for helping communities in need is all that is required.

Yes. We work with corporate partners through matched giving, sponsored events, and in-kind support. Contact us at president@budsuk.org to discuss partnership options.