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2020-12-31-accounts

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED

31[st] DECEMBER 2020

Company Registration No: 03694613 Charity Registration No: 1074914

1

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

Page(s)
Legal and Administrative Details 3
Report of the Trustees 4-8
Statement of Financial Activities 9
Balance Sheet 10
Notes to the Financial Statements 11-15
Independent Examiners’ Report 16

2

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

TRUSTEES Randal Keynes OBE FLS (Chair) *
Dr Claire Barlow * (appointed 15 September 2020)
Karen Goldie-Morrison FLS (Treasurer)
Professor James Costa FLS
Professor J Stephen Jones FRS
Emma Newall
Revd Professor Michael J Reiss
* Darwin family
REGISTERED OFFICE 31 Baalbec Road,
London,
N5 1QN
REGISTERED COMPANY 03694613 (England and Wales)
NUMBER
REGISTERED CHARITY 1074914
NUMBER
ACCOUNTANTS Knox Cropper LLP
65 Leadenhall Street
London
EC3A 2AD
BANKERS CAF Bank

3

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

The Trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their combined Directors’ report and Trustees’ annual report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2020. The Trustees have adopted the provisions of 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) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

The Trust was established to develop the use of the heritage of Charles Darwin the scientist, his scientific work and his life with his family and friends as an inspiration for learning about science and the natural world.

The objects of the Charity when it was launched in 1999 were the advancement of education in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in relation to:

The aims of the Charity are:

The Trust has based its materials for teaching and its Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses for teachers on resea rch into Darwin’s own writings and those of his contemporaries and collaborators and on current scholarship. Taking as its context Darwin’s life, work and influence, the Trust has developed an approach to teaching and learning in science which it offers for use by educators as DarwinInspired Learning.

DARWIN-INSPIRED LEARNING

Darwin-Inspired Learning:

4

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

This is achieved through:

This approach is aimed at developing:

The Trustees have sought to develop resources that meet the requirements of the UK national curriculum, GCSE and post-16 courses. Many examination specifications expect pupils to carry out independent studies for which they have to collect and analyse data. Studying the natural world out-of-doors over a prolonged period and in great breadth and depth, allows students the opportunity to investigate and bring together data just as Charles Darwin did. However, fieldwork has greatly declined in recent years and teacher expertise to scaffold these activities has waned.

The Trustees believe in particular that teachers need support in developing their:

5

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

ACTIVITIES IN 2020

The Trust has continued its support for English Heritage projects at Down House with uses for education about Darwin’s science, its discussions with the Linne an Society about educational uses of their Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace Collections, and its help for schools, developing ‘Darwin Gardens’ on their premises using ideas set out in its book Darwin-Inspired Learning published in 2015, and in Professor Co sta’s book Darwin’s Backyard published in 2017. In 2020 Professor Costa continued his research into the Down House gardens and grounds archives, and contributed the article “Charles Darwin's voyages of discovery” in the book L: 50 Objects, Stories and Discoveries from The Linnean Society of London (L. Berwick and I. Charmantier, eds.; London: Linnean Society of London). He also authored a chapter entitled “There is Hardly Any Question in Biology of More Importance – Charles Darwin and the nature of variati on” for a book treating phenotypic plasticity (D. Pfennig (ed.), Phenotypic Plasticity and Evolution: Causes, Consequences, Controversies. Boca Raton: CRC Press).

The Wallace Correspondence Project (WCP) concluded successfully in August 2020. The project produced a 542 page “Catalogue of the Correspondence of Alfred Russel Wallace”, the first ever catalogue of all of Wallace’s letters, and also successfully transitioned the letters database to Epsilon, a correspondence repository being developed by Cambridge University Library's Darwin Correspondence Project and partners. (see https://epsilon.ac.uk/search?sort=date&f1-collection=Alfred+Russel+Wallace). This impressive catalogue contains records of 5,688 letters arranged chronologically, including 6,925 individual documents catalogued from 245 repositories and individuals around the world. The WCP director, Dr George Beccaloni, is next planning print editions of the Wallace correspondence.

In 2020 Randal Keynes and Professor Costa had been assisting in the development of a new educational exhibit at Down House. This projec t, the “Down House: Living Landscape Laboratory Experiments Hierarchy,” was shelved as a result of the pandemic. A version of this project has since been resurrected, however, and is now (2021) under development as “Darwin's Living Laboratory Project” featuring a suite of five interpretive ‘posts’ in the garden which include an interpretation panel (A4 size) and a hands-on activity for families. The Trust is helping support staff and volunteer training in connection with this project.

The doctoral research that has been supported by the Trust has been successfully completed. The research focuses on the fundamental reasons why many individuals, specifically trainee teachers, find aspects of evolution to be deeply unsettling. Ultimately, this work will inform how teacher training and professional development can better support teachers to develop their understanding of people’s feelings towards evolution, nature and our relationship to it. This is with a view to creating more inclusive and dialogic approaches to teaching and learning of this fundamental subject in science. A continuing collaboration through Emma Newall (whose doctoral research this is) with UCL Institute of Education is intended.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty set out under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 and have paid due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, ‘Charities and Public Benefit’, in developing the Trust’s objectives for the year an d in planning its activities.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The Trust maintains its reserves under two categories: (a) unrestricted (general) reserves, which are available for general use in pursuance of the charity's objectives, and (b) restricted reserves, which are for specifically earmarked purposes. Unrestricted reserves currently amount to £139,234.

The Trustees review the Charity's reserves policy on a regular basis and no less than annually. The reserves position is reported at every board meeting.

6

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

Financial performance

The total income received in the year was £128,177 of which £128,020 was the balance of the third instalment of the funding for Phase 2 of the Wallace Correspondence Project (WCP). Expenditure for the year totalled £164,086 of which £161,405 was due to WCP project costs.

Overall, the Trust has recorded a deficit in 2020 of £35,909 compared to a surplus in 2019 of £67,466.

As at 31 December 2020, unrestricted funds have increased to £139,234 from £89,273 due to the John Templeton Foundation agreeing that the unspent balance on the restricted WCP project could be used by the charity to cover overhead costs in future years, which has resulted in a transfer of £52,485 from restricted to unrestricted funds.

Funds brought forward from the previous year amounted to £175,143 and funds carried forward into 2021 amounted to £139,234, made up of £139,234 of unrestricted funds and £0.00 restricted.

TRUST STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The Company was incorporated on 13[th] January 1999 in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Registration No. 3694613).

The Company has charitable status and is registered with the Charity Commission as Charity No. 1074914. It is potentially exempt from Corporation Tax under Chapter 3 of Part 11 of the Corporation Taxes Act 2010. The Company is known as The Charles Darwin Trust and its Directors are its Trustees.

Organisational structure

The day-to-day management of the Trust is led by Randal Keynes reporting to the trustees.

Professor David Kohn is the Trust’s Honorary Senior Research Fellow.

Risk management

The Trustees have reviewed the key risks to which the Trust is exposed, and actions have been taken to mitigate those risks.

The Trust has no operational hub. All trustees and the freelance bookkeeper work from their homes. The funds of the trust amply cover the costs going forward.

7

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees (who are also the directors of the Charles Darwin Trust for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland".

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 charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company 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 charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the Trustees are aware:

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by order of the Board of Trustees on 10 September 2021 and signed on its behalf by:


Randal Keynes (Chairman)

8

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

Notes
INCOMING RESOURCES
Grants and donations
2
Investment Income
TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Charitable Activities
3
Education Activities
Wallace
Correspondence
Project
TOTAL RESOURCES EXPENDED
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
FOR THE YEAR BEFORE
TRANSFERS
TRANSFERS
BETWEEN FUNDS
FUND BALANCES BROUGHT
FORWARD
FUND BALANCES CARRIED
FORWARD
Un-
restricted
Funds
Restricted
Funds
2020
Total
Un-
restricted
Funds
£
£
£
£
4
128,020
128,024
7
153
-
153
383
Restricted
Funds
2019
Total
£
£
225,023
225,030
-
383
157
128,020
128,177
390
225,023
225,413
-
-
-
-
2,681
161,405
164,086
3,716
-
-
154,231
157,947
2,681
161,405
164,086
3,716
154,231
157,947
(2,524)
(33,385)
(35,909)
(3,326)
52,485
(52,485)
-
-
89,273
85,870
175,143
92,599
70,792
67,466
-
-
15,078
107,677
£139,234
£-
£139,234
£89,273
£85,870
£175,143

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

9

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31[ST] DECEMBER 2020

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
6
INVESTMENT ASSETS
7
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
8
Bank Balances
CREDITORS: Amounts falling
due within one year
9
NET CURRENT ASSETS
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Restricted Funds
Revaluation Reserve
Unrestricted General Fund
2020
£
£
-
-
-
146,649
146,649
(7,415)
139,234
£139,234
-
-
139,234
£139,234
2019
£
£
1,191
-
-
256,980
256,980
(83,028)
173,952

£175,143
85,870
-

89,273

£175,143
2019
£
£
1,191
-
-
256,980
256,980
(83,028)
173,952

£175,143
85,870
-

89,273

£175,143
£175,143
85,870
-
89,273
£175,143

The Company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2020.

The members have not required the Company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The Directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:

(a) ensuring that the Company keeps accounting records which comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of each financial year and of its profit or loss for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the Company.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by the Directors on 10 September 2021

_______ Randal Keynes (Chairman)

_______ Karen Goldie-Morrison (Treasurer)

Registered Company Number: 03694613

10

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

a) Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS102, have been prepared under the historical cost convention. They have been prepared in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards, the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities’ (SORP 2015), in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK (FRS 102) applicable to smaller entities and the Charities Act 2011. The presentational currency of the financial statements is Pound Sterling.

b) Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purpose.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

For donations and grants to be recognised, the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement in writing.

11

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONT.) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

2.
GRANTS AND DONATIONS
Grant: John Templeton Foundation
Grant refund
Donations
3.
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Wallace Correspondence Project
Staff costs
Freelance costs
Legal and Professional Fees
Office costs
Other costs
Support Costs (Note 4)
Education Activities
4.
SUPPORT COSTS
Accountancy Fees
NR OH fees
Office Costs
Other Costs
2020
£
128,509
(489)
4
£128,024
2020
£
90,039
51,125
864
15,723
2,604
3,731
-
£164,086
2020
£
1,500
1,088
683
460
2019
£
225,023
-
7
£225,030
2019
£
110,757
12,483
2,851
22,277
4,834
4,744
-
£157,946
2019
£
1,470
825
2,209
240
£3,731 £4,744

The independent examiners remuneration amounts to £1,500 (2019: £1,476).

  1. SALARY COSTS
Gross Salary Costs
Social Security Costs
Employers Pension Costs
2020
£
83,322
4,742
1,975
£90,039
2019
£
100,993
7,489
2,275
£110,757

12

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONT.) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

Average number of employees 2020
£
2
2019
£
3

There were no employees whose employee benefits exceeded £60,000.

The Key Management Personnel of the Charity are those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Charity. Total employee benefits, including employer pension contribution and employer social security costs for key management personnel in the period amounted to £50,684 (2019: £47,005).

6. FIXED ASSETS

Cost
Balance at 1stJanuary 2020
Acquisitions
Disposals
Balance at 31stDecember 2020
Depreciation
Balance at 1stJanuary 2020
Charge during year
Balance at 31stDecember 2020
Net Book Value
At 31stDecember 2020
INVESTMENT ASSETS
Cost
Balance at 1stJanuary 2020
Additions
Disposals
Balance at 31stDecember 2020
DEBTORS

Grants Receivable
Other Debtors
2020
£
13,657
-
-
13,657
12,466
1,191
13,657
-
2020
£
-
-
-
-
2020
£
-
-
-
2019
£
13,657
-
-
13,657
10,680
1,786
12,466
£1,191
2019
£
-
-
-
-
2019
£
-
-
-

7. INVESTMENT ASSETS

8. DEBTORS

13

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONT.) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

9. CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

mounts falling due within one year
Deferred income
Accruals
Social security costs and pension
Other creditors
2020
£
-
4,490
2,444
481
£7,415
2019
£
78,005
1,470
2,097
1,456
£83,028

Deferred income in the previous year represents part of the 3[rd] and final instalment grant from John Templeton Foundation for The Wallace Correspondence Project.

10. DIRECTORS’ EXPENSES

No expenses were charged by the directors during the year, (2019: Nil).

11. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

At 1 Jan
2020
Income Expenditure Transfers At 31 Dec
2020
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds 89,273 157 (2,681) 52,485 139,234
Restricted funds
Wallace Project 85,870 128,020 (161,405) (52,485) -
£175,143 £128,177 £(164,086) £- £139,234
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - Comparative
At 1 Jan
2019
Income Expenditure Transfers At 31 Dec
2019
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted funds 92,599 390 (3,716) - 89,273
Restricted funds
Wallace Project 15,078 225,023 (154,231) - 85,870
£107,677 £225,413 £(157,947) £- £175,143

The transfer between funds of £52,485, represents part of the John Templeton Foundation grant which will be used by the charity to cover overhead costs in future years. This sum represents the overhead cost allowance in the grant agreement which was unspent at the end of the project. The John Templeton Foundation has consented to The Charles Darwin Trust retaining this unspent balance to cover future overhead costs because there was significant uncharged trustee time in managing the project over the three years. Consequently, a transfer has been made from restricted to unrestricted funds.

14

THE CHARLES DARWIN TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS (CONT.) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2020

12 . ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS at 31[st] December 2020

Fixed assets
Current assets
Current liabilities
Unrestricted
fund
£
-
146,649
(7,415)
£139,234
Restricted
fund
£
-
-
-
£-
Total 2020
£
-
146,649
(7,415)
£139,234
ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS at 31st December 2019
Unrestricted
fund
Restricted
fund
£
£
Fixed assets
-
1,191
Current assets
92,199
164,781
Current liabilities
(2,926)
(80,102)
£89,273
£85,870
Total 2019
£
1,191
256,980
(83,028)
£175,143

13. HERITAGE ASSETS

During 2003 the Trust received a legacy (the Quentin Keynes Bequest), which comprised rare manuscripts and books related to Charles Darwin’s life and writings. A similar bequest from the estate of Richard Keynes was received in 2010. A bequest was also received from the estate of Milo Keynes in 2009. A donation of heritage assets amounting to £84,600 was also received in 2015.

Following a review, part of the Quentin Keynes Bequest was reclassified as an investment asset and was sold during 2015 together with the assets donated in 2015. Most of the remaining heritage assets were then transferred to another charity, the Linnean Society of London, to hold, under trust, for educational purposes. A number of the remaining assets remain with the Trust, most of them now on loan to English Heritage for display at Darwin’s home, Down House in Kent.

14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 December 2020 (2019: none).

15

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of The Charles Darwin Trust

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2020.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’). You are satisfied that the accounts of the Company are not required by charity or company law to be audited and have chosen instead to have an independent examination.

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the Company’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

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:

  1. accounting records were not kept as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

  4. the accounts 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 accounts 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 accounts to be reached.

Kevin Lally Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants 65 Leadenhall Street EC3A 2AD

Date: 15 September 2021

16