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← Progress Educational Trust

2025-03-31-accounts

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07405980 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1139856

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

FOR

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

Melinek Fine LLP Chartered Accountants First Floor, Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Page
Report of the Trustees 1-30
Independent Examiner's Report 31
Statement of Financial Activities 32
Balance Sheet 33
Notes to the Financial Statements 34 to 37

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The charity's objective is to advance the education of the public in general (and in particular among those concerned with genetic conditions and infertility) in the fields of human genetics, assisted conception and embryology, including their ethical and regulatory aspects.

The Trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the Progress Educational Trust (PET) each year. The three principal strategic objectives identified by the Trustees are as follows.

PET uses the three key areas of its work – BioNews , events, and engagement – to deliver these objectives. There is a rolling evaluation of how the charity's activities fulfil these objectives, at Trustee meetings and at Advisory Committee meetings.

In carrying out their review, the Trustees have referred to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, and its supplementary guidance on the advancement of education for public benefit. The trustees also judge how planned activities will contribute to the objectives of the charity.

2. MISSION, STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC BENEFITS

The vision of PET is to improve choices for people affected by infertility or genetic conditions. The mission of PET is to educate and to debate the responsible application of reproductive, developmental and genomic science.

PET has continued to realise its vision, and pursue its mission, through its flagship publication BioNews and through public events including an Annual Conference. BioNews is free of subscription charges and has a wide international readership of around 18,000 people.

Most of the public events produced by PET are free to attend and are supported by donations, sponsorship or grant funding. Where a charge is made – for example, at the charity's Annual

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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Conference – concessions are offered for students, pensioners and those on benefits. All PET public events are widely advertised to attract a large and diverse audience. 2,107 people attended public events produced by PET during this financial year.

PET also engages with a wide range of age and interest groups – and with the media and other interested parties – to improve public, patient, professional and policy understanding of the scientific, ethical, legal and social issues that arise from assisted conception, genetics, genomics, developmental biology and embryo/stem cell research. The charity continues to be highly influential and is regarded as a leading source of information and expertise.

PET maintains strong links with the UK Government and the Scottish Government. Outside the UK, PET engages with a wide range of organisations and institutions including the World Health Organisation, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), the International Federation of Fertility Societies, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), and the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health.

PET enjoys excellent relationships with professional bodies including the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors, the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS), the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA), the British Society for Genetic Medicine, the Senior Infertility Nurse Group, and the Society for Reproduction and Fertility (SRF).

PET shares its expertise on an ongoing basis by working with, and serving on, the following bodies.

The PET Director is a Trustee of the BFS and is also Chair of this organisation's Special Interest Group on Law, Policy and Ethics.

The PET Director is a member of this body, which brings representatives of Scotland's four NHS assisted conception units together with other NHS, patient and policy representatives.

PET collaborates on outreach and engagement aspects of these landmark initiatives, including events where professionals and the public discuss the implications of sequencing the whole genomes of newborn babies. One such PET event during the financial year was Whole Genome Sequencing at Birth: Implementing the Generation Study (held online in October 2024).

PET works with this large-scale research initiative, advising and training on ethical, legal and social issues and on public communication and engagement.

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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The PET Director is a member of this Working Group, led by the prominent not-for-profit organisation Surrogacy UK.

The PET Director serves on the External Advisory Board of this body, which brings together researchers and practitioners across Cambridge whose work relates to reproduction.

PET also collaborates with other organisations and institutions, leading projects that develop new approaches to policy, practice and research. PET played a leading role in four such collaborations during this financial year.

This is an initiative led by Professor Manuela Perrotta (Professor of Sociology of Technology and Organisation at Queen Mary University of London), with funders including the British Academy and Wellcome. The initiative spans several projects, with each project exploring biomedical and social transformations related to fertility treatment, and developing ways to address challenges associated with these transformations.

One of the projects that forms part of the initiative concerns 'add-ons' to fertility treatment and is led jointly by Professor Perrotta and Sarah Norcross (Director of PET). One of the public events produced by PET during the financial year – IVF Add-Ons: Building Bridges between Clinics, Regulators and Patients , held online in June 2024 – formed part of the project, and featured a presentation from Professor Perrotta. The project has also involved the creation of materials including an interactive toolkit and four Research Digests (discussed in greater detail below).

Another of the projects that forms part of the Remaking Fertility initiative concerns the contrasting ways that UK-based fertility clinics present information online, with an emphasis on the way that fertility treatment prices are presented and explained. Most of the research that has underpinned this project to date was conducted by the PET Deputy Director (Sandy Starr), while he was on secondment to Queen Mary University of London during the financial year.

The G-SCBEM project is coordinated by Christina Rozeik (Programme Manager at Cambridge Reproduction) together with Sandy Starr (Deputy Director of PET) and is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and by the University of Cambridge.

The project concerns stem-cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs) – multicellular structures that resemble human embryos in some respects, but that are created from stem cells rather than from eggs and sperm. Consequently, these structures challenge established scientific categories and regulatory arrangements.

G-SCBEM assembled an interdisciplinary Working Group of 13 experts, drawn from institutions across the UK, and worked with these experts for two years developing the first ever governance framework for research involving SCBEMs.

This work has resulted in the creation of the UK's Code of Practice for the Generation and Use of Human Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models (published jointly by PET and Cambridge Reproduction in July 2024 and discussed in greater detail below).

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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The PRECAS project's Principal Investigator is Professor Cathy Herbrand (Professor of Medical and Family Sociology at De Montfort University), who leads the project in collaboration with fellow researchers and in partnership with PET. Sarah Norcross (Director of PET) attends regular meetings of the project team, including – during the financial year – meetings that were held online, in the UK (in Leicester) and in Belgium (in Leuven).

The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and explores ethical, practical and sociological questions raised by the growing use of expanded carrier screening (ECS). ECS is an approach to testing and risk profiling in which prospective parents (and/or gamete donors) are tested prior to conception, to check whether they (unknowingly) carry gene variants that could potentially lead to ill health in future children.

During the financial year, the PET Director contributed to PRECAS materials that went on to be exhibited at the Annual Conferences of the European Society of Human Genetics (held in Berlin in June 2024) and ESHRE (held in Amsterdam in July 2024).

This project is led by Professor Adèle Marston (Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh), in collaboration with fellow researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick and in partnership with PET. The project brings together researchers and artists to collaborate on the creation of material – including visual art and poetry – that conveys, and enriches, understanding of (in)fertility and related research. In particular, the project focuses on exploring and explaining why some egg cells fail to develop.

One of the public events produced by PET during the financial year – Where Art Meets ART: Creative Exploration of Fertility Research and Treatment , held online in June 2024 – formed part of this project, and featured presentations from Professor Marston and from many of the researchers and artists involved in the project. Additionally, an exhibition of artworks created as part of the project formed part of the PET Annual Conference (held in London in December 2024).

In addition to its leading role in these four collaborations, PET also advised on and assisted with the following five projects during the financial year.

This project explores the challenges that emerge, as technological advances create new possibilities for human reproduction. The project's Principal Investigator is Professor Stephen Wilkinson (Distinguished Professor of Bioethics at Lancaster University), while PET forms part of the project's IVG Ethics and Policy Network (which focuses on in vitro gametogenesis, meaning the full or partial creation of egg cells or sperm cells outside the body). The PET Director serves on the project's Advisory Board.

During the financial year, the PET Director chaired a session – entitled Science and Bioethics – at an international symposium of the project's IVG Ethics and Policy Network (held in Leiden in the Netherlands in June 2024). The PET Director also presented alongside Professor Stephen Wilkinson at an event entitled IVG: What Issues Does It Raise? (held online in January 2025), which formed part of the project.

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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The ConnecteDNA project explores how people involved in donor conception use, and are affected by, direct-to-consumer genetic testing. The project's Principal Investigator is Professor Lucy Frith (Professor of Bioethics and Health Research at the University of Manchester), while the PET Director serves on the project's Advisory Board.

During the financial year, the PET Director chaired the concluding session of a conference (held at the Manchester Museum in November 2024) that marked the formal completion of this project. The following month, Professor Frith discussed the findings of the project in a presentation at the PET Annual Conference in London.

This project explores public views of innovations – including SCBEMs, IVG and organoids – that relate to stem cells. The project is led jointly by Professor Emily Jackson (Professor of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science) and the consultancy Liminal Space, while the PET Deputy Director serves on the project's Advisory Board.

During the financial year, the PET Deputy Director advised on the creation of materials – including a fictional 'stem cell kit' called Cell Yourself – as part of this project. Both the PET Director and the PET Deputy Director attended an exhibition of these materials in July 2024, which formed part of the annual Summer Science Exhibition of the Royal Society.

This project explores approaches to prenatal testing in different European countries. The project's Principal Investigator is Dr Ruth Horn (Associate Professor of Ethics at the University of Oxford), while the PET Deputy Director is a contributor to the project.

During this financial year, the PET Deputy Director chaired a session – entitled Women's Experiences after Positive NIPT Results – which concluded a conference (held at St Luke's Chapel in Oxford in February 2025) that marked the formal completion of this project.

This project seeks to create a computer-based simulator of embryonic development, bringing together data from diverse areas of research (including embryo research and SCBEM research). The project was originally founded by researchers based in Canada, and it is now run by an international consortium.

During the financial year, the PET Deputy Director participated in the project consortium's annual meeting in Hamburg in June 2024 (held concurrently with the Annual Conference of the ISSCR in the same Hamburg venue). The PET Deputy Director also participates regularly in an ongoing series of online workshops, entitled Bridging Theory and Experiments , which form part of the VHD project.

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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Finally, PET continues to enjoy excellent relationships with a wide variety of charities and organisations that support people – patients, families and others – who are affected by infertility or genetic disease, or who need (or are affected by) assisted conception. Such charities and organisations include the following.

PET makes an important contribution to these and other organisations, acting as a hub for policy discussion and ensuring that people affected by issues within the PET remit – together with their families, carers and advocates – are kept up-to-date with the latest developments.

3. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

BioNews

BioNews , the flagship publication of PET, celebrated its 25th Birthday in 2024. Over the past 25 years, PET has published more than 1,300 weekly editions of BioNews . This amounts to more than 8,800 news articles, more than 2,100 comment pieces and more than 900 reviews, which together represent the work of more than 1,200 individual authors.

PET published BioNews to schedule throughout the financial year, during which the publication included a wide range of news articles, comment pieces, event synopses and reviews. Several of the BioNews comment pieces during the financial year were written by prominent figures in the charity's orbit, including the following.

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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by Baroness Ruth Deech (Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords) www.progress.org.uk/baroness-mary-warnocks-life-work-and-legacy/

by Professor Sonia Suter (Professor of Law at George Washington University) and Professor Naomi Cahn (Professor of Law at University of Virginia) www.progress.org.uk/ivf-in-the-usa-a-political-dance/

whole-genome-sequencing-for-rare-genetic-conditions-begins-in-newborns/

ancestry-test-for-christmas-why-some-people-are-converting-to-judaism/

www.progress.org.uk/frozen-embryos-in-poland-the-need-for-legal-change/

The top five most viewed BioNews articles published during the financial year were as follows.

  1. Woman describes ordeal in Georgian human egg 'farm' (February 2025) by Blair Sowry www.progress.org.uk/woman-describes-ordeal-in-georgian-human-egg-farm/

  2. Class action lawsuits against genetic testing companies over PGT-A (October 2024) by Ruth Retassie www.progress.org.uk/class-action-lawsuits-against-genetic-testing-companies-over-pgt-a/

  3. Argentina's surrogacy stalemate (August 2024) by Sam Everingham www.progress.org.uk/argentinas-surrogacy-stalemate/

  4. Judge names prolific sperm donor in warning (February 2025) by Natalie Richardson www.progress.org.uk/judge-names-prolific-sperm-donor-in-warning/

  5. Much-cited Nature stem cell paper retracted after 22 years (June 2024) by Melinda Van Kerckvoorde www.progress.org.uk/much-cited-nature-stem-cell-paper-retracted-after-22-years/

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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BioNews Writing Scheme

PET offers opportunities for people interested in science communication, and in legal and ethical issues arising from scientific developments, to gain practical news writing experience under expert supervision via the BioNews Writing Scheme.

During the financial year, six students from University College London (UCL) successfully participated in the BioNews Writing Scheme. They all provided positive feedback, and most of them went on to join the regular pool of volunteer BioNews writers.

Feedback from these six students included the following.

PET keeps in contact with those who have completed the scheme, monitoring and encouraging the development of their careers. Most of these writers go on to become regular contributors to BioNews , and many of them also go on to work for organisations in areas relevant to PET.

BioNews Writing Prize

PET celebrated the 25th birthday of BioNews by launching the inaugural Marcus Pembrey BioNews Writing Prize, named after Professor Marcus Pembrey (the current Patron of PET and one of the founders of the charity). It was Professor Pembrey who originally established the BioNews Writing Scheme in 2008.

The Writing Prize involved PET holding a competition, open to people aged 18-30. Each entrant was asked to write and submit a comment piece addressing the following question: 'Which scientific or legal development in fertility, genomics or embryo research in the last 25 years do you think will have the greatest impact in the next 25 years?'

The panel of competition judges was as follows.

Science writer and broadcaster, former editor at Nature , and author of books including How Life Works , How to Grow a Human , Patterns in Nature and Unnatural

Senior Medical Writer at Aspire Scientific, previously Genetics Editor at BioNews and currently a member of the PET Advisory Committee

Professor of Law at Loughborough University, previously Reproduction Editor at BioNews and currently a member of the PET Advisory Committee

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The comment pieces that were awarded first, second and third prize by the competition judges were subsequently published on BioNews . Those pieces were as follows.

  1. The impact of artificial wombs: A look at the potential benefits and challenges by Philippa Kemp

www.progress.org.uk/

In September 2024, PET held an invitation-only event at Conway Hall in London to mark the 25th birthday of BioNews . The event was attended by 120 people who had contributed to BioNews at some point during its 25 years of publication, or who had been closely involved in the history and work of PET.

The event incorporated a prize ceremony where the authors of the three winning entries in the BioNews Writing Prize were awarded their prizes, and were congratulated by Professor Pembrey in person. The event also incorporated a panel discussion of the past, present and future of fertility, genomics and embryo research, which featured the following speakers.

Science writer and broadcaster

Director of the Multiple Births Foundation, previously a member of the HFEA

Chair of Trustees at PET, and Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute

Public events

In addition to holding its invitation-only BioNews birthday celebration in September 2024, PET also produced 12 fully public events during the financial year.

The first of these events – Mary Warnock at 100: The Architect of Embryo Law (held online in April 2024) – marked the 100th birthday of the late Baroness Mary Warnock (1924-2019), a philosopher who did much to shape fertility and embryo law both in the UK and around the world. Baroness Warnock preceded Professor Marcus Pembrey as Patron of PET, and her son Felix Warnock was one of the speakers at the April event.

The legacy of Baroness Warnock also supplied the theme for the PET Annual Conference (held in London in December 2024), which was entitled 40 Years after the Warnock Report: What Is the Embryo's Special Status? . The conference marked 40 years since the publication of a

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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Government-commissioned report – Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology , nowadays often referred to simply as the Warnock Report – that set the terms for regulation of fertility treatment and embryo research.

The Warnock Report famously concluded that 'the embryo of the human species ought to have a special status' . The PET Annual Conference explored how this concept of the embryo's 'special status' is understood in different contexts and disciplines.

The 40 Years after the Warnock Report conference marked the first time PET had been able to hold its Annual Conference in person since 2019. In the interim, it had been impractical for the charity to hold an in-person conference – initially due to the COVID pandemic, and subsequently due to disruption from nationwide rail strikes. The return to an in-person conference in 2024 was very much welcomed by attendees, speakers and organisers alike.

Aside from the PET Annual Conference – for which the charity charges an attendance fee, and which provides the charity with an important source of income – all public events produced by PET during the financial year were held online, and were entirely free to attend. By holding events online, PET can feature overseas speakers without having to meet travel and accommodation costs and can also reach sizeable audiences throughout the UK and across the world.

PET events during the financial year featured speakers based in seven non-UK countries (Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and the USA), and were attended by people from 63 non-UK countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, the UAE, Uganda, Ukraine and the USA).

PET sought opportunities to experiment with its online events during the financial year. For example, PET held a joint UK/Australian event – 40 Years of Egg Donation and Counting: What Have We Learned? What Happens Next? – at a different time of day than is customary for the charity. This event marked 40 years since the announcement that a child had been born following egg donation for the first time, a birth that occurred in Australia. By holding its event early in the morning (from a UK perspective), PET enabled speakers and attendees from Australia and New Zealand to participate during the evening (from their perspective).

Another event with an experimental approach held by PET during the financial year – Where Art Meets ART: Creative Exploration of Fertility Research and Treatment – formed part of the New Horizons in Fertility Research project (discussed above) and featured an unusually large number of speakers. These speakers – most of whom presented artworks that they had created – included junior and senior researchers, a laboratory manager, a glass artist, and a poet.

The 11 free-to-attend online events held by PET during the financial year were all chaired by Sarah Norcross, and were subsequently made available in three different formats.

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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The free-to-attend online events held by PET during the financial year were as follows.

  1. Mary Warnock at 100: The Architect of Embryo Law

Date: 17 April 2024

Speakers: Julia Chain, Baroness Ruth Deech, Professor Anna Mastroianni, Felix Warnock, Dr Duncan Wilson

Sponsors: Adelphi Genetics Forum, CooperSurgical

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/mary-warnock-at-100-the-architect-of-embryo-law/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ mary-warnock-at-100-the-architect-of-embryo-law--59664847

Film: youtu.be/JqiJVzcHlfI

  1. 40 Years of Egg Donation and Counting: What Have We Learned? What Happens Next?

Date: 24 April 2024

Speakers: Professor Nicky Hudson, Professor Catherine Mills, Stephen Page, Professor Alan Trounson

Sponsor: Gedeon Richter

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/40-years-of-egg-donation-and-countingwhat-have-we-learned-what-happens-next/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/40-years-of-egg-donation-and-countingwhat-have-we-learned-what-happens-next--59813807

Film: youtu.be/XBAX3Il1dNU

  1. 10 Families and Counting: Time for Global Limits on Donor-Created (Half-) Siblings?

Date: 22 May 2024

Speakers: Dr Grace Halden, Dr Astrid Indekeu, Professor Jackson Kirkman-Brown, Kevin Moore, Christina Sommerlund

Sponsor: Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS)

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/

ten-families-and-counting-time-for-global-limits-on-donor-created-half-siblings/ Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ 10-families-and-counting-time-for-global-limits-on-donor-created-half-siblings--60253664

Film: youtu.be/LffWrt9Dn-E

  1. IVF Add-Ons: Building Bridges between Clinics, Regulators and Patients

Date: 5 June 2024

Speakers: Kate Brian, Rachel Cutting, Alex Davies-Jones MP, Dr Rachel Gregoire, Professor Manuela Perrotta

Sponsor: The Remaking Fertility initiative

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BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/ ivf-add-ons-building-bridges-between-clinics-regulators-and-patients/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ ivf-add-ons-building-bridges-between-clinics-regulators-and-patients--60404448

Film: youtu.be/ZXf3jSOG-CE

  1. Where Art Meets ART: Creative Exploration of Fertility Research and Treatment

Date: 12 June 2024

Speakers: Aleksandra Byrska, Dr Cerys Currie, Dr Muriel Erent, Professor Geraldine Hartshorne, Dr Sarah-Jane Judge, Robyn Kerr, Professor Adèle Marston, David Mola, Lucy Munro, Dr Gerard Pieper

Sponsor: The New Horizons in Fertility Research project

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/ where-art-meets-art-creative-exploration-of-fertility-research-and-treatment/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/

where-art-meets-art-creative-exploration-of-fertility-research-and-treatment--60543750

Film: youtu.be/7agXqcowTjc

  1. Whole Genome Sequencing at Birth: Implementing the Generation Study

Date: 23 October 2024

Speakers: Phern Adams, Dr Robin Lachmann, Amanda Pichini, Dr Chinthika Piyasena

Sponsor: Genomics England

BioNews article: www.spreaker.com/episode/ whole-genome-sequencing-at-birth-implementing-the-generation-study--62531051

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/

whole-genome-sequencing-at-birth-implementing-the-generation-study--62531051 Film: youtu.be/xzHiKr0J9U0

  1. 10 Years of Womb Transplants: What Have We Learned? What Does the Future Hold?

  2. Date: 20 November 2024

Speakers: Professor Mats Brännström, Eleanor Findlater, Dr Natasha HammondBrowning, Isabel Quiroga, Professor Richard Smith

Sponsors: Health Equality Foundation, Merck

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/

whole-genome-sequencing-at-birth-implementing-the-generation-study/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/10-years-of-womb-transplantswhat-have-we-learned-what-does-the-future-hold--63001469

Film: youtu.be/5QwLojuJhuQ

  1. Preimplantation Genetic Testing: Barriers to Access

Date: 15 January 2025

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

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Speakers: Professor Frances Flinter, Nick Meade, Dr Melanie Nana, Diana Perry, Charlotte Tomlinson

Sponsor: D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/preimplantation-genetic-testing-barriers-to-access/ Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ preimplantation-genetic-testing-barriers-to-access--63766557

Film: youtu.be/_r5Q2iwcodo

  1. The Fertility Landscape for LGBTQ+ Communities: Barriers and Considerations

Date: 12 February 2025

Speakers: Natalie Gamble, Dr Carole Gilling-Smith, Nancy Kelley, Professor Nick Macklon, Dr Marcin Śmietana, Jacob Stokoe, Laura-Rose Thorogood

Sponsor: Born Donor Bank, Merck

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/ the-fertility-landscape-for-lgbtq-communities-barriers-and-considerations/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ the-fertility-landscape-for-lgbtq-communities-barriers-and-considerations--64432921 Film: youtu.be/AXnrattxY0Q

  1. What Can the Fertility Sector Learn from the Infected Blood Scandal and Inquiry?

Date: 26 February 2025

Speakers: Professor Emma Cave, Professor Bobbie Farsides, Professor Abha Maheshwari, Professor Marc Turner

Sponsor: Scottish Government

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/ what-can-the-fertility-sector-learn-from-the-infected-blood-scandal-and-inquiry/ Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ what-can-the-fertility-sector-learn-from-the-infected-blood-scandal-and-inquiry--64675976 Film: youtu.be/LP1MGVYx3IA

  1. Is Fertility Treatment a Solution to Population Decline?

Date: 26 March 2025

Speakers: Professor Bart Fauser, Dr Paul Morland, Professor Geeta Nargund, Dr Chris Skedgel

Sponsor: Merck

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/ is-fertility-treatment-a-solution-to-population-decline/

Podcast: www.spreaker.com/episode/ is-fertility-treatment-a-solution-to-population-decline--65336755

Film: youtu.be/DnIS5WQp3Mo

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The PET Annual Conference – 40 Years after the Warnock Report: What Is the Embryo's Special Status? – was held at International Students House in London, on 4 December 2024. The four conference sessions were as follows.

  1. What Is the Embryo's Special Status in the Clinic?

Speakers: Dr Aisling Ahlström, Professor Anneke Lucassen, Dr Raj Mathur, Dr Valerie Shaikly

Chair: Sarah Norcross

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/how-did-we-get-here-the-story-of-the-statute/

  1. What Is the Embryo's Special Status in the Lab?

Speakers: Dr Norah Fogarty, Professor Geraldine Hartshorne, Professor Karen Sermon, Professor Shankar Srinivas

Chair: Fiona Fox

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/

challenges-and-changes-whats-happening-across-europe/

  1. What Is the Embryo's Special Status in Law?

Speakers: Julian Hitchcock, James Lawford Davies, Dr Verena Nordhoff, Peter Thompson Chair: Professor Emily Jackson

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/

looking-to-the-law-in-the-clinic-in-the-lab-in-the-court/

  1. What Is the Embryo's Special Status in Ethics?

Speakers: Professor Emma Cave, Professor Sarah Franklin, Professor Lucy Frith, Sandy Starr

Chair: Professor Karen Sermon

BioNews article: www.progress.org.uk/adapting-to-change-is-agreement-possible/

The PET Annual Conference was sponsored by the Anne McLaren Memorial Trust Fund, the British Fertility Society, Burgess Mee, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Born Donor Bank, Merck, Ovoria Egg Bank, Theramex, TMRW Life Sciences and the Institute of Medical Ethics.

The conference received media coverage in the New York Times (which sent a journalist to the UK to attend the conference and to interview several of the speakers), in the Daily Telegraph and Guardian newspapers, in the medical journal the Lancet , and in the publications Focus on Reproduction and MIT Technology Review .

Conference attendees who completed evaluation forms provided the following feedback.

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Freeform comments from conference attendees included the following.

Public funding of fertility treatment

PET has campaigned for many years for improved public funding of fertility treatment, and for an end to the fertility treatment 'postcode lottery'. During the financial year, campaigning on this issue was refocused around a new resource created by PET called the PET Fertility Policy Tracker, which can be accessed on the PET website at www.progress.org.uk/fertility-policy-tracker/

Since 2004, the Fertility Guideline published by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that if a woman is aged under 40 and if she or her partner have infertility, then that woman should be offered three full cycles of NHS-funded in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Despite this, more than two decades later many women who meet the criteria stipulated in the Fertility Guideline still find it difficult or impossible to access NHS-funded IVF. This is especially the case in England, where the Fertility Guideline has never been implemented in full.

A report published by PET during the previous financial year, entitled The Power of Three IVF Cycles , revealed a related problem. GPs and NHS Commissioners have a poor understanding of the Fertility Guideline , and they do not understand referral and eligibility criteria for fertility treatment.

This situation is made worse by the fact that it is difficult for patients – or professionals, for that matter – to obtain a clear picture of what fertility treatment funding policies are in place in various parts of England. The relevant local authorities, called Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), often fail to state their policies clearly (and in some instances fail to state their policies at all). Furthermore, a delay in 'harmonising' funding policies has persisted since ICBs succeeded an earlier system,

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meaning that there can sometimes be inconsistency and therefore a postcode lottery within a single ICB (despite the fact that these are supposed to have consistent, unified policies).

The UK Government promised to help rectify this situation as part of its Women's Health Strategy for England , by creating a tool to help patients look up policies in their area. When this longawaited tool was finally made available by the Government it was simplistic, incomplete and inaccurate, and it failed to take account of the NICE definition of a 'full' cycle of IVF. Furthermore, this resource has rarely been updated by the Government since it was launched in 2023.

In light of this, PET resolved to create its own reliable, regularly updated and completely free resource – the PET Fertility Policy Tracker – to enable people to obtain accurate information about ICB funding policies across England. Many of these policies are confusingly written, and need to be parsed carefully by the PET team.

PET obtained funding from pharmaceutical companies – initially from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, subsequently from Merck – to create and maintain its Fertility Policy Tracker. Crucially, however – and unlike some commercially driven resources that have sought to exploit the gap left by inadequate Government information about fertility funding – the PET Fertility Policy Tracker does not require users to submit any personal data, and nor does it involve promoting any particular products or services to users.

The PET Fertility Policy Tracker was launched in July 2024, whereupon data from the resource was immediately used by the Financial Times , in an article published that month which reported that fewer than a quarter of IVF cycles in the UK are funded by the NHS. The PET Director was quoted in the article, explaining that 'there is no pressure or impetus on local commissioners in England to fund this properly '.

The PET Director was also quoted in two other UK newspapers in July 2024, in relation to data showing that UK patients now embark on fertility treatment later in their lives than was previously the case. Quoted in the Daily Mail , the PET Director said: 'Those not eligible for NHS treatment will then look for ways to finance private treatment, during which time they won't be getting any younger.' Quoted in The Times , she said: 'Inconsistent local policies across England mean that people often have to wait at least two years before they can access IVF treatment, and this pushes up the age of these women.'

Another aspect of fertility funding addressed by PET during the financial year is the way that shortcomings in NHS-funded treatment can disadvantage people in same-sex and nontraditional relationships. For example, same-sex female couples are expected to self-fund many rounds of intrauterine insemination, before they can be considered eligible for NHS-funded fertility treatment.

To draw attention to these issues, PET joined with a number of other charities and advocacy groups to launch a campaign entitled Fertility Justice . An article about this campaign was published in the August/September 2024 edition of DIVA magazine, which quoted the PET Director and included data from the PET Fertility Policy Tracker. The Fertility Justice campaign was also the focus of one of the public events produced by PET during the financial year – The Fertility Landscape for LGBTQ+ Communities: Barriers and Considerations (held online in February 2025).

Fertility treatment add-ons

Fertility treatment 'add-ons' are optional treatments, technologies or procedures offered alongside IVF – often at considerable expense to patients – which may not be supported by reliable evidence. PET has long been involved in public and professional discussions of issues raised by

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add-ons, and the PET Director is a coauthor of ESHRE's Good Practice Recommendations on Add-Ons in Reproductive Medicine .

During the financial year, evidence was published –a large, randomised control, double-blind clinical trial, which spanned seven centres in the UK and Hong Kong – showing that one particular add-on, timelapse imaging of IVF embryos, does not improve live birth rate.

In July 2024, the PET Director was quoted by the Press Association discussing this clinical trial. She said: 'For more than a decade, we have seen claims that using time-lapse imaging for embryo selection can improve the chance of a live birth by 50% or more. The lesson here is that patients should be sceptical, whenever any claim is made that any technology or add-on can improve chances of IVF success.'

Meanwhile, as part of its work with the Remaking Fertility initiative, PET contributed to the creation of a number of resources intended to address challenges posed by add-ons. One of the resources created was an interactive toolkit.

The following four research digests were also published.

  1. Evidence Gaps and Information Provision in Fertility Care (January 2024) - -

www.qmul.ac.uk/remaking fertility/research digests/ evidence-gaps-and-information-provision/

  1. Information Provision on UK Fertility Clinic Websites (February 2024) - -

www.qmul.ac.uk/remaking fertility/research digests/ information-provision-on-uk-fertility-clinic-websites/

  1. Ensuring Cost Transparency and Fully Informed Decision Making (February 2024) www.qmul.ac.uk/remaking-fertility/research-digests/ensuring-cost-transparency/

  2. The Market for Hope (September 2024) www.qmul.ac.uk/remaking-fertility/research-digests/market-for-hope/

Donor conception

Donor conception – where a child has been conceived with donated sperm and/or donated eggs, or where a child results from the transfer of a donated embryo – is a form of assisted conception that forms an important part of the PET remit.

Two PET events during the financial year concerned donor conception – 40 Years of Egg Donation and Counting: What Have We Learned? What Happens Next? (held online in April 2024) and 10 Families and Counting: Time for Global Limits on Donor-Created (Half-) Siblings? (held online in May 2024). The latter event generated substantial media coverage, with the PET Director and three of the panel speakers quoted in articles in the Guardian newspaper in August 2024.

August 2024 also saw PET cited in an article in New Lines magazine, about the first cohorts of donor-conceived people in the UK and in New Zealand to reach an age where they are permitted to request identifying information about their donor. Then in September 2024, the PET Director

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was quoted discussing egg donation in the Daily Telegraph . There, she explained that the tendency for women to embark on fertility treatment later in life is contributing to a growing demand for egg donors.

Stem-cell-based embryo models

During the financial year, two major documents were published as part of the Governance of Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models (G-SCBEM) project, and were the focus of substantial policy, engagement and media work by PET.

In April 2024, the first of these documents – Addressing the Governance Gap: A Public Dialogue on the Governance of Research Involving Stem-Cell-Based Embryo Models – was published jointly by the Sciencewise programme (run by the Government body UK Research and Innovation) and Hopkins Van Mil (social research agency). The document reported the findings of a public dialogue involving 38 members of the general public, whose views on SCBEMs were explored during a series of workshops and other activities.

The PET Deputy Director was involved throughout all of the public dialogue workshops. He cowrote the Foreword of Addressing the Governance Gap and also cowrote an accompanying comment piece for BioNews .

Then in July 2024, the second document – the Code of Practice for the Generation and Use of Human Stem-Cell-Based Embryo Models – was published jointly by PET and Cambridge Reproduction. The Code of Practice is the UK's first ever dedicated governance document for research involving human SCBEMs, and it represents the culmination of two years of work by PET and its collaborators.

The Code of Practice was drafted by a dedicated Working Group comprising 13 UK-based experts. It also incorporates insights from a further 55 expert reviewers around the world, and from the 38 members of the public who participated in the Addressing the Governance Gap public dialogue. Members of the Working Group, led by its Chair (Professor Roger Sturmey) and the G-SCBEM project's Principal Investigator (Professor Kathy Niakan), wrote their own accompanying comment piece for BioNews .

creating-a-code-of-practice-for-stem-cell-based-embryo-model-research/

The Code of Practice was launched at a media briefing hosted by the Science Media Centre, featuring presentations from the PET Deputy Director and his colleagues. The PET Deputy Director was then quoted in coverage in the journal Nature and in the Guardian newspaper, while publication of the Code of Practice was also reported by the journal Science and by the publication Research Professional . Following publication, the PET Deputy Director travelled to Hamburg to give a presentation about the Code of Practice at the Annual Conference of the ISSCR.

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The Code of Practice went on to be discussed in a number of scholarly articles throughout the remainder of the financial year, and was used as a key point of reference throughout the subsequent report Human Stem-Cell-Based Embryo Models: A Review of Ethical and Governance Questions , published by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCoB) in November 2024. The PET Deputy Director and the lead author of the NCoB report (Professor Emma Cave) each gave presentations about their work on SCBEMs at the PET Annual Conference in London in December 2024.

Finally, the PET Deputy Director attended an event about SCBEMs in Parliament in March 2025, where documents including the Code of Practice and Addressing the Governance Gap were discussed by a panel of speakers including Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne) and Peter Thompson (Chief Executive of the HFEA).

Genetics, genomics and epigenetics

During the financial year, the PET Director participated in several events related to human genetics and genomics. These included the Festival of Genomics (held in London in January 2025) where the PET Director met with Professor Dame Sue Hill (Chief Scientific Officer for England), and Making Progress with Newborn Screening (held in Oxford in February 2025, produced by the University of Oxford's Centre for Personalised Medicine).

PET also continued its work monitoring the uses of polygenic scores (sometimes referred to as 'polygenic risk scores' or 'polygenic indices', depending on the context). A polygenic score is a statistical way of using someone's genome sequence to try to estimate how likely that person is – relative to people in a certain population, whose genomes have also been sequenced and studied – to have a particular characteristic (either now or in the future).

A polygenic score can in principle be created for any observable characteristic, health-related or otherwise, but there is no guarantee that the score will be useful or reliable. Even if the score is useful for one individual, there is no guarantee that it will remain so, or that it will be similarly useful for others.

Polygenic scores have well-founded uses in certain specific contexts, but their indiscriminate use has been met with scepticism. In particular, the use of polygenic scores to inform the selection of embryos in assisted conception – an approach known as PGT-P (preimplantation genetic testing involving polygenic scores) – has been criticised by a number of national and international bodies, as being scientifically and/or ethically unsound.

In November 2024, the PET Director was quoted in an article about PGT-P in the Daily Telegraph . There, she explained that 'polygenic scores don't tell you anything concrete or reliable about the presence or absence of a specific gene variant' and that 'PET thinks it is wrong to offer PGT-P to patients '.

Another area closely related to genetics and genomics, in which PET takes an ongoing interest, is epigenetics – the science of enduring changes in the pattern of gene activity, that do not involve alteration of a DNA sequence. Professor Marcus Pembrey, the Patron of PET and one of the charity's founders, made several important contributions to the field of epigenetics during his research career. Furthermore, PET was responsible for producing the UK's first conference about epigenetics for a general audience, held in 2009.

During the financial year, the PET Deputy Director participated in workshop entitled Epigenetics in Human Reproduction , held at the London offices of NCoB in March 2025. The workshop explored ethical and policy issues surrounding discoveries in, and applications of, epigenetics.

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Public speaking, exhibiting and outreach

Besides producing its own events, PET also made a number of contributions to events held by others during the financial year. The PET Director spoke at and chaired sessions at the Annual Conferences of professional bodies in the charity's orbit, including the BICA Annual Conference (held in London in May 2024) and the ARCS Symposium (held in Birmingham in September 2024).

The PET Director also gave a filmed interview to the SRF (published in June 2024), where she discussed how scientists can get involved in science writing and science communication. PET went on to exhibit at Fertility 2025 (held in Liverpool in January 2025), which is the joint conference of the UK's largest fertility societies – ARCS, the BFS and the SRF.

October 2024 saw the PET Director address two contrasting audiences. First, she went to Cambridge to present a policy case study, at an event held by the University of Cambridge's Centre for Science and Policy. Her case study was a successful campaign – in which PET played a leading role – to change UK law to permit the use of mitochondrial donation to avoid the transmission of mitochondrial disease from mother to child.

After this, the PET Director went to Newcastle to exhibit at an educational event for school pupils, produced by the BFS. The exhibit invited pupils to decide whether various hypothetical applications of germline genome editing in humans should be regarded as a treatment, or as an enhancement. Pupils were also asked to decide whether they thought each application should be permitted or prohibited, regardless of whether they thought it constituted a treatment or an enhancement.

The most substantial exhibition and outreach work conducted by PET during the financial year consisted of two interactive exhibits developed by the charity, which were presented at the Science Museum in London as part of that venue's popular Lates programme.

In September 2024, PET staff and volunteers presented an exhibit at Science Museum Lates entitled Maybe Baby? The Global Lottery for Fertility Treatment . The exhibit concerned many different aspects of fertility treatment, considered both nationally and internationally.

Visitors to the exhibit were informed about differences in the availability and regulation of fertility treatment around the world and were invited to participate in exercises seeking their opinions on various contentious issues. These issues included funding of fertility treatment, donor conception, sex selection, surrogacy, and IVG.

PET exhibited at Science Museum Lates again in December 2024. On this occasion, the PET team consisted of staff and volunteers plus one of the charity's Trustees (Professor Frances Flinter) and one of the charity's Advisers (Dr Jess Buxton). The Christmas-themed exhibit was entitled DNA Tests: The Present that Reveals Your Past... and Your Future .

The exhibit explored the fact that direct-to-consumer DNA tests have become an increasingly popular choice of Christmas gift. On the positive side, such tests sometimes succeed in satisfying people's curiosity about their ancestry, or about aspects of their biology. On the negative side, the results of such tests may be inaccurate or misleading, and/or may have unanticipatedly farreaching and distressing consequences (particularly when it comes to genetic relatedness).

Web traffic

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 157,788 unique user visits to the PET website (an increase of 20% compared to the previous financial year), with an average

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engagement time of 1 minute 14 seconds. The website reached 12 million impressions on Google Search.

The PET website also saw an increase in international visitors, with visitors coming from 206 countries according to Google Analytics data. 48% of web traffic came from within the UK, and 17% of web traffic came from the USA. The remaining 35% of web traffic is geographically diverse, with the leading contributors being Australia and Canada followed by Germany and India.

The PET website enables PET to attract and engage with new volunteers, through a dedicated online form. 23 applications to volunteer were received via this form during the financial year.

Traditional media

PET enjoyed a significant media profile throughout the year, making appearances across the national and international print, broadcast and online media. This included the following.

Media outlets that featured PET during the financial year included the following.

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Social media

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Throughout the financial year, PET continued to share its events programme, its latest BioNews articles and other material on various social media platforms.

The main objectives of the charity's social media presence are as follows.

PET publishes a wealth of material on a regular basis, which helps the charity to build an engaged community across social media platforms. The types of engagement pursued by PET on social media include reading BioNews articles, subscribing to the BioNews email newsletter and other PET emails, watching PET films, listening to PET podcasts, registering for PET events, volunteering with PET, and donating to PET.

During the financial year, PET grew its total number of social media followers by 6%, an increase achieved entirely through organic growth. Opportunities for organic growth have tended to diminish on social media platforms, as these have become increasingly commercialised and/or politicised – a trend led by X (known previously as Twitter) and by Facebook.

Meanwhile, the growing competitiveness of social media creates a need for higher production quality and audiovisual elements, including animations. PET has sought to meet this challenge by experimenting with the format of its social media posts.

The social media presence of PET consists of its profiles and posts on the following nine platforms, plus a wide variety of additional platforms that distribute the charity's posted material via syndication.

LinkedIn

The PET profile on LinkedIn is at www.linkedin.com/company/progress-educational-trust

This profile has seen a 36% increase in its number of followers (compared with the previous financial year), along with increased reach and engagement.

LinkedIn represents the largest opportunity for community building for PET, as it continues to allow opportunities for organic growth. LinkedIn also has a significant proportion of younger users, who find the platform helpful in relation to their professional roles.

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X (known previously as Twitter)

The PET profile on X is at x.com/PET_BioNews

This profile remains the most widely followed social media platform for PET, with 6,897 followers (although this is a decrease of 2% compared with the previous financial year). Detailed performance metrics are no longer available to users of X without payment.

Reports suggest that users of X overall have decreased during the financial year.

Instagram

The PET profile on Instagram is at ~~a~~ www.instagram.com/progresseducationaltrust/

During the financial year, followers of this profile grew to 1,062 (an increase of 16% compared with the previous financial year). This is a smaller growth than was seen during the previous financial year (where there was a growth of 27%).

Nonetheless, Instagram continues to offer some potential for organic growth, and represents a younger potential audience base for PET.

Facebook

The PET profile on Facebook is at www.facebook.com/ProgressEducationalTrust

During this financial year, Facebook metrics showed a decrease of 14% in average monthly reach. This is a slowing of decline compared with the previous financial year (when there was a decrease of 21%). Follower numbers for this profile were static during the period, at 1,867.

Facebook metrics also showed a 42% increase in post engagement (compared with the previous financial year), but this is from a small base. High-performing posts typically reach 500-600 individual users. The follower profile has a strong female bias, with 35-44 being the most common age.

Bluesky

The PET profile on Bluesky is at - bsky.app/profile/pet bionews.bsky.social

Bluesky is in its infancy, and this profile has only 55 followers. However, Blusky may offer future opportunities, as anecdotal evidence suggests that a portion of the PET audience is migrating from X to BlueSky.

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Threads

The PET profile on Threads is at www.threads.com/@progresseducationaltrust

This profile has 202 followers, and is given only limited attention by PET.

YouTube

The PET profile on YouTube is at www.youtube.com/ProgressEducationalTrust/videos

This profile has more than 500 followers, a number that continues to grow. Users who follow PET on YouTube are notified of the publication of new PET films directly via the platform, instead of (or in addition to) seeing these films embedded in BioNews articles on the PET website.

Spreaker

The PET profile on Spreaker is at www.spreaker.com/show/progress-educational-trust-podcast

Users who follow PET on Spreaker – or on one of the many podcast platforms to which Spreaker content is syndicated (these include Apple, Google, iHeart and Spotify) – are notified of the publication of new PET podcasts directly via the platform, instead of (or in addition to) seeing these podcasts embedded in BioNews articles on the PET website.

RSS

The PET RSS feed is at ~~a~~ www.progress.org.uk/feed/

PET makes BioNews articles available via an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed on the PET website. This enables individual users to receive the latest BioNews articles by using an RSS reader, while also enabling other platforms and websites to embed the PET RSS feed.

Some publications choose to make articles available in their entirety within an RSS feed. However, PET only makes the headlines and abstracts of articles visible within its RSS feed. This means that users must follow links to the PET website in order to read BioNews articles in full, helping to sustain web traffic.

4. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

During the next financial year, PET will do the following.

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5. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

The charity is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 13 October 2010, its predecessor charity of the same name having been originally established in May 1992 as an unincorporated charitable trust.

The charitable company is governed by its memorandum and articles of association and is managed by a board of Trustees who are the directors of the company and are appointed in accordance with the articles of association. The Trustees can appoint additional Trustees by invitation.

The articles of association state there must be a minimum number of Trustees in office of three and there is no maximum number.

The Trustees, who are directors of the company for the purposes of company law, were as follows.

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None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All Trustees are members of the company, and guarantee to contribute the sum of £10 each in the event of a winding up. All Trustees give freely of their time, and no remuneration or benefits are paid to them. During the financial year, £1,048 was paid in relation to an insurance policy that includes indemnity insurance for the Trustees.

All Trustees are kept up to date with ongoing developments in charity law and practice, with appropriate training courses being considered if appropriate. It is the policy of the Trustees to provide new Trustees with all relevant information appertaining to the charity and its affairs upon induction, in order that they can obtain a sufficient level of knowledge to enable them to perform their roles effectively.

The Trustees met four times during the year, to provide additional support to the staff. The decisions of the Trustees are recorded by written minutes. The Trustees refer to the Advisory Committee, which has been established to assist them on matters relating to the activities of the charity. The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to those risks.

Advisory Committee

The PET Advisory Committee has a depth of skills and experience in genetics, embryology, assisted conception, stem cell research, clinical practice, media, education, information technology, marketing, business, commercial practices, law, medical ethics and charity management.

Peter Taylor (Trustee) chairs this committee. The Committee met once during the financial year.

Patron

The Patron of PET is Professor Marcus Pembrey, who is one of the charity's founders and was also a member of the charity's precursor organisation (the Progress Campaign for Research into Human Reproduction, established in 1985). He is Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Genetics at University College London's Institute of Child Health, and he served as Chair of Trustees at PET for more than 20 years.

Staff

During the financial year, the charity had up to eight employees at any one time, filling two full-time and seven part-time positions.

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Sarah Norcross (Director) manages the day-to-day operations of the charity, supported by Sandy Starr (Deputy Director). During the final quarter of the financial year, Sandy Starr spent part of his time seconded to Queen Mary University of London, where he conducted research for the Remaking Fertility initiative.

Amanda Cooney continued as Marketing Manager throughout the financial year, while Dr Joanne Delange continued as BioNews Genetics Editor.

Jennifer Willows stepped down from her roles as both Projects Officer and BioNews Legal Editor in September 2024, whereupon Natalie Richardson took over as BioNews Legal Editor. The Projects Officer role was discontinued.

Hannah Flynn stepped down as BioNews Science Editor in December 2024, whereupon Lynne Smit took over this role. Lynne Smit resigned in February 2025, whereupon Dr Richard Stephens took over as BioNews Science Editor.

David Hill stepped down from the post of Fundraising Manager in October 2024, and this post was discontinued.

Kadri Roosipuu began in the newly created post of Digital Platform, Data and SEO Manager in April 2024, while Anneliese Burton began in the newly created post of Events Manager in November 2024.

Volunteers

PET is extremely grateful for the help of its many highly motivated volunteers. PET is an equal opportunity organisation and is committed to a working environment that is free from any form of discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.

6. FINANCIAL REVIEW

Overview

Total income was £180,106 (2024: £290,409) which is a decrease of 38% in comparison with the previous financial year. The decrease was principally driven by the ending or delay of three key income sources. The last of the Wellcome Sustaining Excellence grant, which had been a major support for many years, had been received in 2024; grant income decreased by £56,699 year on year. The contract with NHS England for consultancy work in genomics ended, reducing this income stream by £23,389. Scottish Government sponsorship was approved relatively late in the financial year, resulting in a reduction of £44,000 in related income.

PET income from donations including gift aid increased to £36,555 (2024: £22,049) due to support from two new major donors.

Total expenditure, including support costs, amounted to £300,204 (2024: £274,558) which is an increase of 9% compared with the previous financial year. The main expenditure item continued to be staff costs which at £240,967 (2024: £198,249) accounted for 80% (2024: 72%) of total expenditure.

The increase in expenditure was planned as in order to recruit additional staff.

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Net assets at the Balance Sheet date were £260,371 (2024: £380,469) and all funds held were unrestricted.

Future financial viability of the charity is dependent on the continued financial support of grant funding bodies, clients for the PET writing and training work, sponsors of their events, advertisers and private donors.

Future viability will also depend upon the many greatly valued Friends, Volunteers and Advisers, without whose support the charity could not survive.

Reserves policy

PET holds reserves for a number of purposes, including the following.

Trustees consider that, given current turnover and staffing, maintaining free reserves in the range of £180,000 makes adequate provision for these purposes.

This policy is reviewed by the Trustees on a six-monthly basis.

The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finance of the charity. They have developed a risk management strategy which involves the following.

AUDITORS / INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS

Aryeh Melinek Melinek Fine LLP, Chartered Accountants First Floor

Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 Charity registered in England and Wales no 1139856

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (including the Directors' Report) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

30

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE TO THE AUDITORS

Each of the Trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the independent examination, but of which the independent examiners are unaware.

Each of the Trustees has further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information, and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information.

The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 12/01/2026 and signed on its behalf by: Robin | nell Babe

Robin Lovell-Badge Trustee

Progress Educational Trust www.progress.org.uk

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 Charity registered in England and Wales no 1139856

: :

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Progress Educational Trust (‘the Company’) I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2025,

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:

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.

Aryeh Melinek, FCA

Melinek Fine LLP

Chartered Accountants First Floor, Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

Date: 12/01/2026

Page 31

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2025 2024
Unrestricted Unrestricted
fund funds
Notes £ £
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM
Donations and legacies 2 36,555 22,049
Charitable activities 3 129,194 257,207
Other trading activities 4 5,810 7,401
Investment income 5 8,547 3,752
Total 180,106 290,409
EXPENDITURE ON
Charitable activities
Charitable activities 300,204 274,558
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (120,098) 15,851
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
Total funds brought forward 380,469 364,618
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 260,371 380,469

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 32

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

BALANCE SHEET

31 MARCH 2025

2025 2024
Unrestricted Unrestricted
fund funds
Notes £ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible assets 11 1,429 1,393
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 12 29,773 17,604
Cash at bank 276,954 378,220
306,727 395,824
CREDITORS
Amounts falling due within one year 13 (47,785) (16,748)
NET CURRENT ASSETS 258,942 379,076
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 260,371 380,469
NET ASSETS 260,371 380,469
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds 260,371 380,469
TOTAL FUNDS 260,371 380,469

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

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 12/01/2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

............................................. Robin | oell Bal Professor R H Lovell-Badge - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

Page 33

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

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.

Financial reporting standard 102 - reduced disclosure exemptions

The charitable company has taken advantage of the following disclosure exemption in preparing these financial statements, as permitted by FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland':

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.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Computer equipment - 25% on cost

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. The charity does not have any restricted funds.

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.

continued...

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PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

2.
DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Donations
Gift aid
3.
INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Grants
Sponsorships
Conferences and events
Consultancy
4.
OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES
Advertising
5.
INVESTMENT INCOME
Deposit account interest
6.
SUPPORT COSTS
Finance
£
Charitable activities
3,098
The governance cost of £1,500 is the cost of independent examination.
7.
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation – computer equipment

continued...

Page 35

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2025 nor for the year ended 31 March 2024.

9. STAFF COSTS

STAFF COSTS
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs		 2025
£
221,082
15,543
4,342
240,967		 2024
£
182,632
11,835
3,782
198,249

The executive director is considered as key management personnel. The total employee benefits of key management personnel were £63,874 (2024: £62,594).

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

2025 2024
Employees 8 7
The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 w
2025 2024
£60,001 - £70,000 1 1

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

10. INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

INTANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Computer
software
£
COST
At 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 26,561
AMORTISATION
At 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 26,561
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2025 -
At 31 March 2024 -

continued...

Page 36

PROGRESS EDUCATIONAL TRUST

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

11. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

COST
At 1 April 2024
Additions
At 31 March 2025
DEPRECIATION
At 1 April 2024
Charge for year
At 31 March 2025
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 March 2025
At 31 March 2024
12.
DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
13.
CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Social security and other taxes
Accruals and deferred income		 Computer
equipment
£
5,886
669
6,555
4,493
633
5,126
1,429
1,393
2025
2024
£
£
23,317
17,604
213
-
6,243
-
29,773
17,604
2025
2024
£
£
5,468
4,248
42,317
12,500
47,785
16,748

14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

Total donations of £556 (2024: £516) were made by the trustees to the charity. There were no other related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2025 or the year ended 31 March 2024.

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