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2021-09-30-accounts

THE ASSOCIATION OF

CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS

REPORT OF TRUSTEES

For the year ended 30[th] September 2021

Charity No: 1118605

Company No: 6113479

1

CHAIR’S FOREWARD

In a year where the organisation celebrates its 75[th] anniversary, we have seen another challenging period for the charity sector. In the face of periods of lockdown, increasing demands for services and an economic downturn, benevolent and grant-making charities have shown tremendous resilience in continuing to deliver targeted financial and wellbeing support to individuals and families in significant need. This should be applauded.

We have continued to ensure that ACO provides a strong platform of support for benevolent and grant-making charities – whether this is through our knowledge sharing programme of events, encouraging peer-peer relationships between member charities, providing bespoke assistance or lobbying external stakeholders on behalf of the sector.

During the course of the year we ran our “#Here to Help” campaign, looking to enhance our relationships with key referral and advice agencies to ensure awareness of the key support available from benevolent charities, particularly during the course of the pandemic. This is a significant task – and remains a work in progress – but we strongly believe that there is tremendous potential to build our profile amongst these organisations.

At the same time, we have worked in conjunction with other charity infrastructure bodies (the Civil Society Group) to maintain a unified, consistent front to Government, regulators, funders, and other external stakeholders. The “NeverMoreNeeded” campaign was a practical example of how this collaborative group came together provide a powerful voice to keep the challenges facing the sector on the radar.

Operationally, we have worked diligently to balance service commitments against the need to maintain financial sustainability during a turbulent period. Having taken the decision to make several strategic budgets cuts at the beginning of the financial year – without impacting service delivery – I am pleased to report that we have closed the year in surplus and with a commitment to increasing our reserves base, which had been significantly impacted over the last two previous years.

Looking forward, we remain positive that ACO can continue to enable benevolent and grant making charities to leverage their collective skillsets, experience, and best practice in order to effectively meet the increasing demand for financial and wellbeing support from some of the most vulnerable sections of our society.

D’Arcy Myers

ACO Chair

2

Contents

  1. Objectives & Activities

  2. Status - Charitable Objects

  3. Achievements & Performance

  4. Knowledge Sharing

  5. Special Interest Groups

  6. Thought Leadership

  7. Campaigning/Lobbying

  8. Structure, Governance & Management - Governance

  9. Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement

  10. Administration

  11. Risk

  12. Membership

  13. Statement of Public Benefit

  14. Financial Review

  15. Financial Sustainability - Reserves Policy - Remuneration Policy for key management personnel

  16. Plans for the Future

  17. In Appreciation

  18. Charity Information

  19. Trustees

  20. Chief Executive

  21. Secretary

  22. Professional Advisers

  23. Annual Accounts 2019-20

  24. Statement of Financial Activities

  25. Balance Sheet

  26. Notes to the Accounts

  27. Independent Examiner’s report

3

1. OBJECTIVES and ACTIVITIES

Status

The Association of Charity Officers (ACO) was founded in 1946. In June 2011 members agreed to a change of name from Association of Charity Officers to Association of Charitable Organisations. This represented a shift in emphasis from individuals working within member charities to member charities as a whole.

ACO is a registered charity, number 1118605 and a Company Limited by guarantee, company registration number is 6113479. From October 1st, 2020 the address of ACO’s registered office is: International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN.

Charitable objects

ACO’s objects are “to promote for the public benefit the efficiency and effectiveness of charities, particularly but not exclusively those which relieve individuals in need, by assisting in their better administration and promoting the sharing of information and practices useful to these charities.” ACO achieves its objects by:

2. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

For a second year, the Covid pandemic continued to challenge the operation of benevolent charities and their ability to service their respective beneficiary audiences. As a result, ACO continued to tailor its output to provide relevant practical support and resources for members – for example in providing forums where charities could share their grant-making experiences and challenges.

Key areas of delivery for ACO over the course of the year included:

Knowledge Sharing

As well as continuing our regular programme of virtual events accessible to members (such as our Grant Makers Forum and Annual Conference), ACO delivered a range of tailored webinars during the course of the year focusing on key themes, including:

ACO also continued to provide a key support role for members, reacting to requests for assistance around a diverse range of both operational and strategic issues and signposting practical sources of assistance, from members with shared experience to organisations/commercial suppliers with delivery solutions.

4

Special Interest Groups

During the year, ACO also continued to build its Special Interest Groups, which meet regularly throughout the year, enabling the sharing of skillsets, experience and knowledge between colleagues with specific functional areas, responsibilities, and interests. These groups now consist:

Thought Leadership

During the course of 2020-21 ACO continued to develop opportunities through media, social media, and outreach channels to share content that enhanced the organisation’s profile and the role of benevolent and grant making charities.

In particular, ACO launched two keynote reports that highlighted key issues that resonated with our significant segments of our membership and provided opportunities to showcase our understanding of the sector with wider external stakeholders:

Report: Benevolent Funds and their Professional Associations – Seizing Opportunities and Mitigating Risks

Authored by ACO Trustee Caroline Aldred, this report explored the relationship between occupational benevolent funds and their professional associations/bodies, exploring how effective collaboration is critical to ensuring that the benevolent fund can maximise the support it delivers to beneficiaries in financial distress.

Report: Breaking Down Barriers; Tackling the Stigma Surrounding Individuals Approaching Charities for Support

Authored by ACO Marketing and Communications Manager Hanner Canner, this report explored some of the key barriers to individuals approaching charities for support and the causes of stigma – with benevolent funds often perceived as a last resort to solving difficulties – and some of the approaches to challenging these perceptions.

Campaigning/Lobbying

ACO continued to campaign on issues impacting benevolent charities, both in terms of activity to build the profile of our member organisations, as well as collaborating in broader external campaigns to ensure the needs of the sector – and its audience – is clearly communicated to Government, Regulators and Funders.

At the same time, ACO continued to participate in Civil Society Group – comprising national charity infrastructure organisations established to increase collaboration between umbrella bodies, improve efficiency and effectiveness and clearly articulate shared priorities and views to government.

Specific campaign activity included:

Here to Help Campaign

This campaign was launched in Autumn 2020 to establish/enhance relationships with key advice and referral agencies working closely with the public, in order to raise awareness of the range of financial and wellbeing services available to service users from benevolent charities.

5

#NeverMoreNeeded Campaign

Working with other national infrastructure bodies – including NCVO, ACEVO, NAVCA and Charity Finance Group – the campaign looked to provide a strong unified voice for the sector that called on Government to recognise the key role played by the sector during the pandemic. It also called for targeted financial support to ensure that charitable organisations could continue to maintain service delivery in extremely challenging economic conditions.

#KeeptheLifeline Campaign

ACO actively supported the Joseph Rowntree Foundations’ #KeeptheLifeline campaign which aimed to actively lobby Government to reverse the proposed removal of the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift introduced during the pandemic.

3. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governance

Two Trustees were appointed to the Board at the 2021 AGM (8[th] September)

A strong and effective board is synonymous with a strong and effective organisation. ACO will continue to attract and recruit high calibre sector individuals to contribute as Trustees. The Board will continue to recruit new members - when required - to fill gaps in the present array of skills and to maintain a diverse range of organisations represented.

The Trustees of the Charity, as defined in the Companies Act 2006, are also Directors for the purposes of charity law. Eligibility for election to the board of trustees is for up to fifteen trustees, two thirds of whom must be a nominated representative of a charity member organisation at the time of appointment. Elections are governed by the Articles, (a copy of which may be obtained from the secretary or on the website).

Trustees are elected at the AGM for a term of office of three years. A retiring trustee may stand for reelection but may not be re-elected after serving for six years until three years from the date of his/her second retirement.

The Trustees met regularly during the financial year, to undertake their governance role in ensuring the effective strategic, operational, and financial performance of the organisation.

Trustees’ Responsibilities Statement

The Trustees (who are also directors of the Association of Charitable Organisations for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law) including FRS102 the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in UK and Republic of Ireland. Under company law the Trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they’re satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

6

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charitable company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They’re 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.

The Trustees confirm that:

so far as each Trustee is aware, there is no relevant information of which the charitable company’s independent examiner is unaware; and the Trustees have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as Trustees in order to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the charitable company’s independent examiner is aware of that information. The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. The Trustees have taken the exemption available to small companies and haven’t prepared a strategic report.

Administration

The day-to-day management of the Charity has been delegated to the Chief Executive, supported by a small staff team. In order to significantly reduce staffing costs and provide a more effective operational structure, the roles of the Finance Consultant and Finance Administrator were replaced by the introduction of a parttime qualified bookkeeper during the course of the year.

Risk

ACO has a risk register that is reviewed regularly by trustees. Key risk areas this year included:

Risk Area Mitigation
Further pandemic impact Remote working/virtual activity/role cross-over
capability
Loss of core staff Succession planning/systems & project
documentation/role support
Insufficient income to sustain core activities Stringent budgetary planning in place/regular
management account review/increase
membership numbers
Financial mismanagement Strong Treasurer function on Board/regular
financial monitoring/annual Independent Examiner
review
7

Charity fraud/failure to comply with legislation Specific financial procedures providing authorised expenditure parameters and control/ continuing external agency HR and H&S support to ensure compliance Trustee body lacks relevant skillsets Annual skills gaps analysis, trustee recruitment and induction process

The Board continues to closely monitor potential risk areas and take appropriate actions in conjunction with the Chief Executive to mitigate issues as deemed necessary.

Membership

Charity membership of the Association was 120 on 30th September 2021. ACO had 28 Corporate Partners and 2 Charity Partners.

Statement of Public Benefit

Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and consider that ACO’s activities have provided public benefit, through helping benevolence charities optimise their own public benefit through a range of approaches, which include best practice initiatives, networking opportunities, and influencing policy where this is likely to impact on member charities and those they serve.

4. FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial Sustainability

During the course of 2020, the Board – in conjunction with the Chief Executive – had agreed that it would be financially prudent to implement cost-reduction measures in order to ensure the financial sustainability of the charity.

These measures comprised:

Introducing these two measures significantly reduced ACO’s operating costs during the course of 2020-21 and in conjunction with budgetary controls enabled the organisation to reverse the financial deficits of 2018-19 and 2019-20 and close the financial year in surplus.

Reserves Policy

Any organisation requires reserves to safeguard itself against major fluctuations in income or delays in income being received and or unexpected items of expenditure. It is our objective to build and maintain our free reserves at a level of six months’ expenditure to give the Board the security of being able to plan for the long term as well as continue to be able to pay necessary expenses such as salaries. Reserves as of 30th September 2020 were standing at £29,504 (2018-19 £88,494); broadly 2.5 months (2018-19 5 months) of our budgeted expenditure for 2020-21. The financial position is closely monitored by the Board on a regular basis and reserves are considered by the Board as part of this monitoring exercise.

8

Remuneration policy for key management personnel

The ACO Board decides remuneration for staff on an annual basis. The aim is to offer a fair salary to attract and retain staff to lead and support the delivery of the Charity’s aims and objectives. Given the need to maintain strict expenditure controls during the course of the crisis, salary increases were not awarded to staff during the course of the 2019-20 financial year.

Copies of the full accounts are on pages 11 to 17 of this report.

5. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

In the context of the continuing economic uncertainty underlying the Covid pandemic, ACO’s primary focus has remained around ensuring short term activity and service delivery and maintaining financial sustainability.

However, it is hoped that as we hopefully emerge from the pandemic over the course of the following year, that this will enable the Board to focus on medium term strategic planning that will map the course of the organisation as it adapts to the evolving charity landscape and looks to meet the changing requirements of its members.

In the meantime, our immediate priorities include:

6. IN APPRECIATION

At the heart of ACO is a collaborative ethos – ‘we are better together’. The trustees would accordingly like to give sincere thanks and express their appreciation to:

9

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Signed:
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Date: 25 April 2022

D’Arcy Myers, Chair, on behalf of the Trustees of the Association of Charitable Organisations

7. CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees - The trustees who held office during the financial year were as follows:

D’Arcy Myers (Chair) Smallwood Trust Caroline Aldred Former CIMA Benevolent Fund Manager Kris Barnett ICE Benevolent Fund John Brown Former Trustee of Iprovision Julie Green R. L. Glasspool Charity Trust Jodie Gill CABA Juliet Smithson Lionheart (appointed 8/9/21) Liam Evans Action For Children (appointed 8/9/21) Chief Executive Donal Watkin Company Secretary Donal Watkin

Professional advisers

Bankers:

Unity Trust Bank Plc, Nine Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HB

CCLA Investment Management Limited, 80 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DZ

Independent Examiner:

Mr Neil Finlayson, Moore Kingston Smith LLP, Devonshire House, 60 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AD

Solicitors:

Russell-Cooke, 2 Putney Hill, London SW15 6AB

Insurers:

PIB Group, Rossington’s Business Park, West Carr Road, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW

10

ANNUAL ACCOUNTS 2020 - 2021

ASSOCIATION OF CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30[TH] SEPTEMBER 2021

Notes
INCOME
Members Subscriptions
2
Other income
3
Interest (Gross)
Total Income
EXPENDITURE
Direct Charitable Expenditure
4
Governance Costs
4
Total Expenditure
4
NET INCOME FOR YEAR
Balance Brought Forward
1/10/2020
Balance Carried Forward
30/9/2021
10
2020-21
(General)
£
118,347
19,556
1
2020-21
(Restricted)

£
-
10,000
-
2020-21
Total

£
118,347
29,556
1
2019-20
£
115,111
29,003
833
137,904 10,000 147,904 144,947
133,388
1,042
2,160
-
135,548
1,042
201,068
2,869
134,430 2,160 136,590 203,937
3,474
29,504
32,978
7,840
-
7,840
11,314
29,504
40,818
(58,990)
88,494
29,504

Restricted funds comprise of a grant from CCLA Investment.

11

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30TH SEPTEMBER 2021

Notes
Current Assets
Unity Trust Bank plc (Custom
Current Account)
CCLA COIF – Deposit Account
Sundry Debtors and
Prepayments

Total Current Assets
Less Creditors falling due
within one year
9
Net Current Assets
Total assets less current
liabilities
Creditors falling due after
more than one year
9
NET ASSETS
10
FUNDS
Unrestricted
Restricted
2020-21
General
£
57,875
10,505
4,083
2020-21
Restricted

£
7,840
-
-
2020-21
Total

£
65,715
10,505
4,083
2019-20
£
60,572
10,504
3,589
72,463
(39,485)
7,840
-
80,303
(39,485)
74,665
(45,161)
32,978 7,840 40,818 29,504
-
32,978
-
7,840
-
40,818
-
29,504
32,978
-
-
7,840
32,978
7,840
29,504
-
32,978 7,840 40,818 29,504

For the financial year ended 30[th] September 2021 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 Companies Act 2006. No member of the company has deposited a notice, pursuant to section 476, requiring an audit of these financial statements under the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

12

BALANCE SHEET (CONTINUED)

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its surplus or deficit for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of section 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to accounts, so far as applicable to the company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 and with Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The notes on pages 14 - 16 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the Board for issue on 25 April 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

D’Arcy Myers, Chair:

John Brown, Honorary Treasurer:

Company Registration No: 6113479

13

ASSOCIATION OF CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS

These Notes are an Integral Part of the Accounts For the Year Ended 30[th] September 2021

1. Accounting Policies

The financial statements of the charity, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared under the historical cost convention in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) Charities SORP (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011/Companies Act 2006. FRS 102 has been adopted for the first time when preparing these financial statements. The transition date to FRS 102 was 1 October 2014 and the last financial statements prepared under the previous financial reporting framework were prepared for the year ended 31 September 2015. The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity.

Basic financial instruments are measured at amortised cost other than investments which are measured at fair value.

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

In preparing financial statements it is necessary to make certain judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts recognised in the financial statements. In the view of the trustees in applying the accounting policies adopted, no judgements were required that have a significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements, nor do any estimates.

14

Notes
2.
Members’ Subscriptions
Charity members
Corporate members
3.
Other Income
Advertising
Conferences and events
Projects
CJRS (Furlough)
4.
Total Expenditure
Governance
7
Office Overheads
8
Service Delivery
Staff Costs
5
Sundry Expenses
5.
Employee Costs and numbers
Gross Salaries
Employer National Insurance
Employer Pension Contributions
Recruitment Costs
Other Staff Costs
Staff Numbers
Full Time
Part Time
2020-21
General
2020-21
Restricted
£
£
90,847
0
27,500
0
118,347
0
2,500
0
3,306
0
12,500
10,000
1,250
0
19,556
10,000
1,042
0
1,567
0
10,067
2,160
121,592
0
162
0
134,430
2,160

2020-21
General
2020-21
Restricted
£
£
90,847
0
27,500
0
118,347
0
2,500
0
3,306
0
12,500
10,000
1,250
0
19,556
10,000
1,042
0
1,567
0
10,067
2,160
121,592
0
162
0
134,430
2,160

2020-21
General
2020-21
Restricted
£
£
90,847
0
27,500
0
118,347
0
2,500
0
3,306
0
12,500
10,000
1,250
0
19,556
10,000
1,042
0
1,567
0
10,067
2,160
121,592
0
162
0
134,430
2,160

2020-21
General
2020-21
Restricted
£
£
90,847
0
27,500
0
118,347
0
2,500
0
3,306
0
12,500
10,000
1,250
0
19,556
10,000
1,042
0
1,567
0
10,067
2,160
121,592
0
162
0
134,430
2,160

2020-21
Total

£
90,847
27,500
2020-21
Total

£
90,847
27,500
2019-20
£
90,611
24,500
115,111
118,347
0
118,347
2,500
0
3,306
0
12,500
10,000
1,250
0
2,500
3,306
22,500
1,250
29,556
1,550
0
18,400
9,053
29,003
2,869
12,519
43,227
145,134
187
203,936
2019-20
£
130,983
9,563
2,068
0
2,520
145,134
2019-20
3
1
19,556
10,000
1,042
1,567
10,067
121,592
162
0
0
2,160
0
0
1,042
1,567
12,227
121,592

162
134,430 2,160 134,590
2020-21
£
106,625
7,482
3,107
208
4,170
121,592
2020-21
2
1

One employee earned more than £60,000

15

6. Pension Costs

The pension staging date for auto-enrolment was in January 2017 and ACO has set up an appropriate scheme for employees. The 2 full time members of staff have enrolled into the NEST Scheme. The part time member of staff does not meet the qualifying requirements.

7. Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses

No remuneration was paid to any Trustee, but reimbursement has been made of necessary travel expenses of £129 (2019-20 £122) for Trustees included under Governance costs. No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity during the year.

8. Lease

There is no lease on office accommodation. The property that was occupied was governed under a memorandum of agreement in which there are no liabilities. This agreement has now been cancelled and staff are working from home.

9. Creditors

Creditors falling due within
one year
Sundry Creditors
Subscriptions paid in advance
Creditors falling due after one
year
Analysis of Net Assets
Current Assets
Current Liabilities
2020-21
General

£
870
38,615
2020-21
Restricted

£
0
0
2020-21
Restricted

£
0
0
2020-21
Total
£
870
38,615
2019-20
£
3,301
41,860
39,485 0 39,485 45,161
0
2020-21
General
£
72,463
(39,485)
0
2020-21
Restricted
£
7,840
0
0
2020-21
Total
£
80,303
(38,615)
0
2019-20
£
74,665
(45,161)
29,504
32,978 7,840 40,818

10. Analysis of Net Assets

16

Independent examiner’s report to the Trustees of The Association of Charitable Organisations

I report to the charity Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 30[th] September 2021.

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 independent 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:

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.

Date: 30 June 2022

Neil Finlayson, FCA, DChA

Independent Examiner

For and on behalf of Moore Kingston Smith LLP

Chartered Accountants Devonshire House 60 Goswell Road London EC1M 7AD http://www.mooreks.co.uk

THE ASSOCIATION OF CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS

International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN Tel: 0207 255 4480 Email: info@aco.uk.net Web: www.aco.uk.net

Charity Registration No: 1118605 Company Registration No: 6113479