Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 03901671 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1101885
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
FOR
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)
Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants
44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. 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).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims About the Food Ethics Council
The Food Ethics Council believes that we can have a better, fairer food system: where everyone eats well and hunger is a distant memory; where farmers and food producers make a decent living, animals are treated humanely, and the environment is respected.
Who we are
We are a registered charity and our work is not for profit. We are not affiliated to any political party or religious organisation. Our Council members are appointed as individuals. They bring a broad range of expertise to our work, from academic research through to practical knowledge of food, farming, business and policy. Our members lead our work in a voluntary capacity and our staff supports them through research, analysis and advocacy.
What we do
We work as an independent think-and-do tank, whose purpose is to bring ethics to the centre of food systems. We bring expertise together - providing the ethical tools and space for honest, thoughtful and nuanced dialogue. We challenge 'business as usual' and support stakeholders to consider the wider impacts of our food systems. Fundamentally, we work to promote considered, long-term solutions to real-world food systems problems, and we strive to provide a safe space for those in the food and farming sector wanting to be part of this shift. In this, we help to create an enabling environment, overcome barriers and design fairer ways in which food systems, their component parts and food businesses can operate. This is all in line with our mission: to accelerate the shift to fair and resilient food systems which respect people, animals and the planet.
Our Objects
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To promote education for the public benefit in issues of ethics, economic and social studies, politics, science and public policy, as they relate to food and agriculture.
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To promote for the public benefit research in any of the above fields of education and to publish the useful results of that research.
What we work on
Our work addresses ethical concerns in food and farming, encompassing environmental care (including climate and biodiversity crises), animal welfare, social justice, health and nutrition, and the development of socially equitable food systems. Our work is UK-focussed, but situated within a global ethical framework.
How we are funded
The Food Ethics Council is funded by a mixture of grant funding, selective consultancy, Business Forum membership and individual donations. The directors only accept funds that will not compromise the charity's independence.
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Public benefit
In shaping our objectives and planning our activities for the year, the Trustees have given consideration to the duties set out in Section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit. In particular, the Trustees have considered how the planned activities will contribute to the overall aims and objectives that they have set.
The Trustees believe that the paragraphs above, and those in the section 'Achievement and Performance', convey in detail the benefits that the Charity provides to the public.
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Overview of the year
2024 saw food and agriculture rise further up political and public agendas, in a rapidly changing world. With growing challenges and polarisation, taking an ethical approach is more important than ever. In a resource-constrained environment, we have been creative and agile, and sought new income sources. Our first match-funded crowdfunding campaign with the Big Green Give provided funds to explore the important theme of the right to food. We are opening ourselves up for much more collaboration in future. We appreciate both longstanding and new funders who support vital food and farming work. We want the sector to thrive and we commit to playing our part in the collective mission of encouraging more resources into it. This is why the Food Issues Census we are coordinating is crucial.
Below we have captured highlights from our work in 2024.
Right to Food
In 2024, we started exploring the right to food in earnest. As mentioned above, we tried a new way of fundraising this year by crowdfunding with the Big Green Give, receiving match funding from Ennismore Foundation, who recognised the necessity of unlocking the right to food as a tool for change. Working with academics such as Jasber Singh (CAWR) and Sinead Furey (Ulster University), we dug deep to try to understand the right to food, in all its complexity and simplicity. Hosting online gatherings with our Council and key stakeholders, we debated concepts such as universality and progressive realisation, to try and open up the space for understanding how the right to food can be a powerful lever for change. We concluded the year with a webinar with Nourish Scotland titled What Do We Mean When We Talk About a Right to Food, since featured on the NI Human Rights Festival website, and an article on our website titled Visualising the Right to Food: The Many Pieces of the Puzzle. We are encouraged to see the right to food featuring more prominently in political discussions in 2024 and in early 2025.
Food Issues Census 2024-25
Those in civil society organisations will know how important it is to have better collective insights into the sector's activities and collaboration. Funders too need a clearer understanding of the civil society ecosystem and key funding gaps. This is why we established the Food Issues Census. After conducting this process twice several years ago, we decided it was time to initiate it again, and we asked civil society organisations to share their priorities with funders. We designed the process to be inclusive and participative, incorporating listening workshops, an Inclusion Fund for those who might otherwise be unable to join, and partnerships with organisations across all four home nations to help with outreach. We developed and launched the survey in 2024, and shared the results in late spring 2025. While the Food Issues Census alone will not solve all the challenges that civil society organisations are facing, it does provide valuable insights to help the sector. This work is kindly funded by A Team Foundation, Ennismore Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Farming the Future, and Treebeard Trust. Together, we are striving towards creating a more collaborative, dynamic, and impactful sector.
The power of writing, including via our Council members
In a fast-paced, Tik Tok, Chat GPT world, some may think the age of writing is over. We disagree. We realise communications often needs to be multi-channel and punchy, but sometimes writing as a medium can be the most powerful way to communicate. Some of our most engaging and thought-provoking communications were blogs and articles from our Council members.
Radical dietitian and Council member Lucy Aphramor wrote a thought-provoking article about reframing nutrition, beyond the healthy/ unhealthy binary: "...I can imagine a different world where encountering nutrition (or a newly named alternative) resources leaves us feeling witnessed, encouraged, and meaningfully informed. A world where instead of being conditioned into individualism and zero-sum thinking to achieve personal health we are conditioned to respect Life and think through right relationship, as we serve... collective non/human flourishing."
Christina Adane, campaigner, editor, cultural creator and Council member, powerfully argued that to make healthy food sexy, we need to go where the young people are: "In order for youth and junk food to no longer be synonymous, we must disrupt this demand and redirect it to ethical food businesses, and help create alternative frameworks for youth culture through nutritious food. By doing this, we not only debunk the narrative that fast food is inherent to youth culture, but we show that healthy food isn't just for the upper echelons of society: it's for everyone."
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
Food systems researcher & consultant Elta Smith, Trustee and Council member, wrote on the importance of establishing a right to food in law, arguing for a 'beyond charity' approach: "This isn't about individual choices, a failure of individual responsibility, or the need for charitable generosity. It's about system failure and collective responsibility. And it's why we need a more fundamental shift in approaching food security and a right to food." Elta went on to highlight the role Food Ethics Council is playing in this space: "I've previously highlighted how fragmented governance often leads to disconnected policy solutions. Through my involvement with the Food Ethics Council, I've seen how a right to food offers an opportunity to break this pattern."
Deepening our place-based relationships
Since the pandemic, the staff team has become more dispersed across the UK, shifted from a core staff team mainly in London often working together in a shared space, to having team members in Belfast, Edinburgh, Guildford, Wales and London working remotely. There have been many benefits of this, most notably the value of being able to explore ethical approaches at more local and regional levels. Deputy Director Beth Bell co-chairs the Belfast Food Partnership, working closely with Belfast City Council, Brink! and other partners to collaboratively build a more equitable food system in Belfast. This means we can bring all our networks, learning and opportunities to Belfast, but also that our broader food system interventions across the UK are richer and more insightful as they are grounded in the reality of a specific place.
The journey of allyship
In 2024, we teamed up with Blueprint Architects, part of Platform London. Initially we were stuck in the mindset of allyship and partnership needing to yield immediate results, events and outputs - given the scale and urgency of problems of racial injustice and oppression. But we soon realised that it is better to go slower and build relationships in a spirit of mutual support and learning, than to churn out a 'toolkit' or a report and risk it being, or being perceived as, a tick box exercise.
The partnership has changed our organisational thinking profoundly. We always prided ourselves on being respectful. But through the partnership, we are always learning - the importance of respecting people's time, paying for people's time, respecting cultures, traditions and history. We are deepening our understanding of racial justice and anti-oppression work through ongoing partnership and reflection. We are also changing how we think about 'impact', the importance of relationships and how we might better capture our impacts going forward.
Taking an ethical approach
We all need to carve out time and space to reflect on what the key issues within our food systems actually are. This includes: gathering a fuller picture of who and what is impacted, understanding the root causes of these issues, engaging and bringing together diverse people, to share their understandings & experiences, reflecting on the systems, power dynamics and knowledge hierarchies at play. These in turn help changemakers create solutions that are fairer and better balanced for all involved. This is what we mean by 'taking an ethical approach'. Deepening our collective understanding of the current system will move us beyond narrow thinking and quick fixes - and build capacity for transformational change.
Enabling fair, ethical business
Our Business Forum is a community of changemakers in food and farming businesses. Through a mix of in-person dinner meetings and online workshops, members come together to discuss latest challenges, exchange ideas and best practice, and support one another to make bold, positive changes. Our Business Forums provide a unique opportunity to engage businesses with some of the most pressing moral issues in food and farming, and we use our unique position as convenors and facilitators to share insights gained from our project work with business executives, to enable system-wide change.
In 2024, we held four in-person Business Forum dinner meetings and four online meetings. These covered a diverse range of relevant topics including:
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Modern slavery
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Profit
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Planet-friendly diets
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Boosting food security, ethically
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REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
We publish non-attributed write-ups from discussions, to allow others to benefit from these insights. We have an exciting programme for 2025, with a mix of in-person dinner events and online meetings, with our Business Forum members helping set the agenda.
Throughout 2024, our Executive Director Dan Crossley continued to write a regular monthly column for The Grocer, a leading food sector magazine. This platform provides an excellent opportunity to engage a wider range of business leaders. We also offered opportunities for selected other writers, whose voices are less often heard, to contribute articles. Dan writes articles that aim to both challenge and inspire food businesses.
Thank you to all those that have supported us
We would like to thank everyone that has been part of our collective mission this year. We particularly want to thank our funders this year. These include Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, A Team Foundation, Farming the Future, Ennismore Foundation, Treebeard Trust, sankalpa and JAM Today, as well as Business Forum members and those that kindly made individual donations to support our work. We also want to thank the staff team, Council members and all those that have interacted with us in 2024 to help us deliver the wide-ranging impacts that we have.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial position
Total incoming resources for the year amounted to £118,042, £56,717 restricted and £61,325 unrestricted, (2023: £152,569, £48,249 restricted and £104,320 unrestricted) and total expenditure amounted to £132,522, £31,184 restricted and £101,338 unrestricted (2023: £164,959, £91,945 restricted and £73,014 unrestricted). The total net outgoing resources for the year amounted to £14,480 (2023: outgoing: £12,390). Net incoming resources of £25,533, (2023: outgoings of £43,696) were used on restricted projects which now total £25,533 (2023; £nil.) There is a net deficit for the year of £40,013 (2023: net surplus £31,306) on unrestricted general reserves which now stand at £3,430 (2023: £43,443).
Reserves policy
The Food Ethics Council's reserves policy is that the unrestricted reserve level should normally be equal to four to six months of the anticipated expenditure from unrestricted funds for the following year. Unrestricted reserves at the end of 2024 did not fall within the terms of the policy. However, we kept this under close scrutiny, with the strong likelihood of additional funds being received in early 2025. We are working with the staff team to further strengthen our longer-term financial security. The Food Ethics Council recognises that it may be appropriate to allow the reserve to fluctuate as a result of short-term cash inflows and outflows.
Risk Review
The Trustees have concluded their own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to manage those risks. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan, which will allow for the continued diversification of funding and activities. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the charitable company. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet the needs of the charity.
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
FUTURE PLANS
Looking ahead
Our three strategic themes are: 1. Identifying levers to create a fair food system for all (e.g. right to food) 2. Challenging business as usual - dismantling harmful practices and outdated systems 3. Allying with and empowering changemakers to build a just food system. Through food, we can address key environmental and social concerns. The prevailing status quo and vested interests are strong. We at the Food Ethics Council are one small organisation in the vibrant ecosystem of civil society organisations. However, we remain determined to transform food and farming. That does not mean rushing. We firmly believe taking the time to put ethics at the centre of food systems is vital if we want them to be fairer for people, planet and animals.
Looking ahead, we will work with others to create ripple effects in our food systems: that build on the positive energy already there, that get to root causes, that bring diverse people and perspectives together and that tackle power head on. Some ripples go far and some become powerful waves.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Status
The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 4 January 2000 and registered as a charity on 3 February 2004.
The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objectives and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. Under those articles, one-third of the Trustees (those who have been longest in office since their last appointment) must retire from office at the Annual General Meeting.
The Members have guaranteed to contribute a maximum of £10 each in the event of the company being wound up.
Charity constitution
The Food Ethics Council was established in 1998. The company was previously called the Independent Council for Ethical Standards in Food and Agriculture Limited. The company name was changed to the Food Ethics Council by special resolution at a meeting on 4 November 2003. By special resolution at the same meeting the Memorandum and Articles of Association were amended.
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Membership
The council consists of up to twenty members at any time, including scientists, philosophers, farmers and civil society leaders. The members elect trustees (directors) who are responsible for managing the charity. These are listed below. We have operated a rotating Chair model since 2016, whereby a different trustee takes over the role of Chair for a defined period on a rotating basis. This proved successful in involving trustees even more deeply in our work, so we have continued this in 2024 and into 2025. At the end of 2024, there were 17 Council members:
Christina Adane: Campaigner, Editor, Cultural Curator Lucy Aphramor: Dietitian
Dr Jason Archie-Acheampong: Sustainable Sourcing Lead (Cocoa & coffee), Fairtrade Foundation Dr Julian Baggini: Freelance writer/ philosopher
Chloe Donovan, Founder, Hundred River Farm CIC and Managing Director of Natural Building Systems Dr Nigel Dower, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Aberdeen Ralph Early: Independent Food Scientist and Food Ethicist Steph Ellis: Public Health Practitioner, NHS Wales
Prof Moya Kneafsey: Research Centre Director, Centre for Agroecology, Water & Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University Patrick Mulvany: Agriculturalist; Director, Kamayoq; Hon. Research Fellow, CAWR, Coventry University Ian Pigott OBE: Regenerative farmer Pete Ritchie: Director of Nourish Scotland
Dr Alexandra Sexton: Assistant Professor in Human Geography at Durham University Elta Smith: Independent researcher, writer and consultant (Incoming Chair 2025-26) Albert Tucker: Independent consultant, advisor and social entrepreneur (Chair 2024-25) Patti Whaley: Retired, Non-Executive Director Deirdre (Dee) Woods: Food & Farming Actionist, Food Justice Policy Coordinator
Organisational structure
The charity is run by the Board comprising the Trustees who delegate the day to day running to the Executive Director, Dan Crossley.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number
03901671 (England and Wales)
Registered Charity number
1101885
Registered office
Impact Hub London Euston 1 Triton Square London NW1 3DX
Trustees
Ms P Whaley (resigned 17/6/2025) R Early Dr N Dower (resigned 17/6/2025) Ms C Donovan Dr J Baggini Mr A Tucker Ms E Smith (appointed 17/1/2024) Dr P Davis (appointed 17/6/2025)
Company Secretary
Mr D Crossley
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Independent Examiner
Dr Shona F Wardrop C.A. Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA
Bankers
Triodos Bank Deanery Road Bristol BS1 5AS
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES
The trustees (who are also the directors of Food Ethics Council 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).
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
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.
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 to 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.
18 September 2025
Approved by order of the board of trustees on ............................................. and signed on its behalf by:
........................................................................ Ms E Smith - Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Food Ethics Council ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's 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').
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 your charity's accounts as 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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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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
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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.
Dr Shona F Wardrop C.A.
Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA
18 September 2025 Date: .............................................
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Unrestricted funds Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 6,744 Charitable activities 4 Subscriptions and other primary purpose trading 24,846 Charitable Grant 19,535 Charitable activities 10,000 Investment income 3 200 Total 61,325 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities 5 Charitable activities 101,338 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (40,013) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 43,443 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 3,430 |
Restricted funds £ - 50 56,667 - - 56,717 31,184 25,533 - 25,533 |
2024 Total funds £ 6,744 24,896 76,202 10,000 200 118,042 132,522 (14,480) 43,443 28,963 |
2023 Total funds £ 50,824 21,006 80,499 - 240 152,569 164,959 (12,390) 55,833 43,443 |
|---|---|---|---|
CONTINUING OPERATIONS
All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.
The notes form part of these financial statements
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 03901671)
BALANCE SHEET 31 DECEMBER 2024
| Notes CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 11 Cash at bank |
Unrestricted Restricted funds funds £ £ 5,971 - 1,530 25,533 |
2024 2023 Total Total funds funds £ £ 5,971 14,311 27,063 34,636 |
|---|---|---|
| CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 12 |
7,501 25,533 (4,071) - |
33,034 48,947 (4,071) (5,504) |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 3,430 25,533 |
28,963 43,443 |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES |
3,430 25,533 |
28,963 43,443 |
| NET ASSETS | 3,430 25,533 |
28,963 43,443 |
| FUNDS 13 Unrestricted funds: General fund Restricted funds |
3,430 43,443 25,533 - |
|
| TOTAL FUNDS | 28,963 43,443 |
The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for
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(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
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(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit 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 charitable company.
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 18 September 2025 ............................................. and were signed on its behalf by:
............................................. Ms E Smith - Trustee
The notes form part of these financial statements
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Accounting basis and standards
The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the entity, and are rounded to the nearest £1.
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, and on that basis the charity is considered to be a going concern.
Income
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.
Expenditure
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.
Taxation
The Charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK Corporation Tax purposes. Accordingly the Charity is exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
Funds
Unrestricted Funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.
Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.
Fixed assets
Recognition and measurement
Fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.
Depreciation is calculated on a straight line method. Depreciation is provided to write down the cost less estimated residual values of tangible fixed assets over their estimated lives at annual rates of:
Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment 25% per annum
continued...
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued
Fixed assets
The company capitalises fixed assets with a value in excess of £500.
Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty
In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the charity is required to make judgments, estimates and assumptions about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both the current and future periods.
There are no estimates and assumptions that are considered to have a significant risk of causing a material adjustments to the financial statements in a future period.
Financial instruments
The charity has only financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and are subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
Financial Assets
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any discounts due.
Financial Liabilities
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any discounts due.
2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
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|---|---|---|
|2024|2023|
|£|£|
|Donations|6,744|50,824|
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Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
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3. INVESTMENT INCOME
2024 2023
£ £
Interest receivable - trading 200 240
4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
2024 2023
£ £
Grants
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust 11,667 33,249
A Team Foundation 10,000 -
AW60 - 750
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 10,000 5,000
JAM Today 10,000 15,000
Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation - 10,000
Oursankalpa CIC 13,125 16,500
Farming the Future 10,000 -
Ennismore Foundation 5,000 -
Treebeard Trust 10,000 -
-
Ennismore Foundation, via The Big Give Trust 4,410
Meditor Trust 2,000 -
86,202 80,499
5. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS
Direct
Costs (see
note 6)
£
Charitable activities 132,522
6. DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
2024 2023
£ £
Staff costs 109,116 138,791
Other Costs 4,497 5,366
Activity Costs 12,967 11,437
Premises Costs 4,538 7,709
Accountancy 1,404 1,656
132,522 164,959
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Page 14
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
7. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
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||||
|---|---|---|
|2024|2023|
|£|£|
|Independent Examiner's fee|1,404|1,356|
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8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 December 2024 nor for the year ended 31 December 2023.
Trustees' expenses
Travel and subsistence costs amounting to £368 (2023: £362) were reimbursed to 3 Trustees (2023: 3 Trustees)
9. STAFF COSTS
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||||
|---|---|---|
|2024|2023|
|£|£|
|Wages and salaries|102,708|128,808|
|Social security costs|3,974|6,496|
|Other pension costs|2,434|3,487|
|109,116|138,791|
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The Average Number of Employees on a Full Time Equivalent basis is 3 (2023: 3)
The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:
Total
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|||
|---|---|
|2024|2023|
|4|5|
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No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.
Key Management (being Trustees and Executive Director) emoluments (comprising gross salary, employers' national insurance and employers' pension) amounted to £46,389 (2023: £48,498)
10. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
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|||||
|---|---|---|---|
|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|
|funds|funds|funds|
|£|£|£|
|INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM|
|-|
|Donations and legacies|50,824|50,824|
|Charitable activities|
|Subscriptions and other primary purpose|
|-|
|trading|21,006|21,006|
|Charitable Grant|32,250|48,249|80,499|
|Investment income|240|-|240|
|Total|104,320|48,249|152,569|
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Page 15
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
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10. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES - continued
Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds
£ £ £
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Charitable activities 73,014 91,945 164,959
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 31,306 (43,696) (12,390)
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 12,137 43,696 55,833
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 43,443 - 43,443
11. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2024 2023
£ £
Trade debtors 4,534 12,150
-
Prepayments and accrued income 1,437
-
Prepayments 2,161
5,971 14,311
12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
2024 2023
£ £
Social security and other taxes 1,955 3,244
Accruals and deferred income 2,116 2,260
4,071 5,504
13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
Net
movement At
At 1/1/24 in funds 31/12/24
£ £ £
Unrestricted funds
General fund 43,443 (40,013) 3,430
Restricted funds
Food Issues Census 2024-25 - 25,533 25,533
TOTAL FUNDS 43,443 (14,480) 28,963
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Page 16
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
| Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 61,325 Restricted funds Food Issues Census 2024-25 45,000 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 11,717 56,717 TOTAL FUNDS 118,042 Comparatives for movement in funds At 1/1/23 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 12,137 Restricted funds Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 43,643 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 53 43,696 TOTAL FUNDS 55,833 Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 104,320 Restricted funds Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation 10,000 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 5,000 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 33,249 48,249 TOTAL FUNDS 152,569 |
Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (101,338) (40,013) (19,467) 25,533 (11,717) - (31,184) 25,533 (132,522) (14,480) Net movement At in funds 31/12/23 £ £ 31,306 43,443 (43,643) - (53) - (43,696) - (12,390) 43,443 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (73,014) 31,306 (10,000) - (48,643) (43,643) (33,302) (53) (91,945) (43,696) (164,959) (12,390) |
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Page 17
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued
2024 - restricted grants
Food Issues Census 2024-25 is work to understand civil society capacity on food and farming in the UK. It is funded by Farming the Future, A Team Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Ennismore Foundation and Treebeard Trust.
JRCT - Making Food Citizenship the Norm grant supports work to accelerate the growth of the food citizenship movement to replace the dominant consumer mindset; and to nurture a space that builds community food resilience in the UK, allowing people/ communities to thrive.
2023- restricted grants
Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation is supporting our successful Food Policy on Trial series, putting important contentious food-related policy issues 'in the dock' at a critical time.
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation grant is to help us initiate a farmer-led transition to fairer, more ethical dairy systems.
JRCT - Making Food Citizenship the Norm grant supports work to accelerate the growth of the food citizenship movement to replace the dominant consumer mindset; and to nurture a space that builds community food resilience in the UK, allowing people/ communities to thrive.
14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES
During the previous year, the wife of the Executive Director made a donation of £40,000.
Page 18
Docusign Envelope ID: 048E2453-AB71-4B68-AB69-91E560BA557E
FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024
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Page
Report of the Trustees 1 to 8
Independent Examiner's Report 9
Statement of Financial Activities 10
Balance Sheet 11
Notes to the Financial Statements 12 to 18
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