**Registered Charity No: 1142479 Registered Company No: 07470232** 

## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** 

**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **Contents** 

||**PAGE**|
|---|---|
|Administrative information|1|
|Report of the Trustees (including Trustees’ Responsibilities statement)|2 – 22|
|Auditors’ Report|23 – 26|
|Statement of Consolidated Financial Activities|27|
|Consolidated Balance Sheet|28|
|Union Balance Sheet|29|
|Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows|30|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|31 – 40|





## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** 

## **Charitable Status** 

The University of Surrey Students’ Union (USSU) is an incorporated charity (Company Limited by Guarantee) established under the Education Act 1994 and registered with the Charity Commission (No. 1142479) and Companies House (No. 07470232). 

## **Principal Address** 

Union House, Stag Hill, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH. 

## **Charity Trustees** 

July 2020/21 July 2021/22 **Full-time (Sabbatical) Officers** President & Chair of Trustees Elizabeth Rodulson Ajisola Ajimobi (wef 01/08/21) VP Community Isabel Watkins Nathaniel Nelson-Williams (wef 01/08/21) VP Support Aaron Seabrook Leri Francis (wef 01/08/21) VP Activity Maya Altamimi James Barlow (wef 01/08/21) VP Voice Theo Donnelly Megan Simmons (wef 01/08/21) **Part-time (Non-sabbatical) Officer** Union Chair Rozalyn Ehiobuche-Nagwamma Adesuwa Obasohan **External Trustees** Matthew Dutton Matthew Dutton Amanda Massie Amanda Massie Jeremy Pattison Jeremy Pattison Anne Milton (appointed 9/10/20) Anne Milton Martine Carter Martine Carter Tom Marsh (appointed 24/07/21) Tom Marsh 

**Part-time Executive Officers (Nontrustees)** Community Exec Officer Adesuwa Obasohan Dan Hood Community Exec Officer Nathaniel Nelson-Williams Theodora Plati Loverdou Support Exec Officer Hussain Al-Khawaja Ami Tudorache Support Exec Officer Martha Feraressi Numa Begum Voice Exec Officer Joel Miller Michelle Ching Voice Exec Officer Megan Simmons Aleksandria Rusimova Activity Exec Officer Diana Dakik Diana Dakik Activity Exec Officer Ellen Parry Puljit Juneja **Auditors Bankers Solicitors** Crowe U.K. LLP National Westminster Goodyear Blackie Statutory Auditor Bank Plc Herrington Law Limited 49-51 Blagrave Street 151 High Street 7 & 8 Innovation Place Reading Guildford Douglas Drive Berkshire Surrey Godalming RG1 1PL GU1 3AH Surrey GU7 1JX 

USSU employs a Chief Executive Officer to work closely with the Executive Officers and ensure effective management of the charity as head of a senior management team as follows:- 

Chief Executive Officer Alan Sutherland Deputy CEO Debra Rideout Human Resources & Staff Development Manager Caroline Royle 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

The Board of Trustees present their Annual Report for the year ended 31 July 2021 which includes the administrative information set out on page 1, together with the audited accounts for that year. 

## **Structure, governance and management** 

USSU is constituted under the Education Act 1994 as a charity (see page 1) with internal regulations or Rules approved by the governing body of the University of Surrey. The Union is a Company Limited by Guarantee. The Charitable Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association are the primary governing documents. Each member of the Charitable Company undertakes to contribute to the owners of the Charitable Company in the event of it being wound up, while they are a member, such amount as may be required, and not exceeding £1. 

USSU charitable Objects under the Act, to advance the Universities’ educational purposes by providing representation and support for the students of the University, are supplemented by the further Object of helping members to develop their own charitable activities as active participants in civil society. 

USSU is administered by its Executive Committee of fourteen students elected annually by cross-campus ballot of the USSU membership. The five posts of President, VP Voice, VP Support, VP Community and VP Activity are full-time, or ‘sabbatical’, posts remunerated as authorised by the Education Acts and cannot exceed two years’ duration for each holder. The five full-time Officers, Union Chairperson, University Trustee and four external trustees are regarded as the charity trustees of USSU for the purposes of the Charities Acts. 

It should be noted that, due to COVID-19, the period of office for the 2020/21 sabbatical team was extended and ended on 31[st] July 2021, with the new team taking over with effect from 1[st] August 2021. 

## **Arrangements for setting pay and remuneration of key management personnel** 

Pay and remuneration of key management personnel is determined by a variety of contributory factors, such as, the size of the Students’ Union, the pay scales for each role e.g. sabbaticals, CEO etc., and the level of experience of the staff member. In addition to this, levels of pay may be effected by the ability to recruit key management personnel and retain them in post, which all coincides with the student union’s appointment and pay policies. All amendments to the pay and remuneration policy for the key management personnel is discussed and agreed by the trustees. The day to day running of the Union is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer and the Deputy CEO. 

## **Risk Management** 

The Finance Committee has examined the major strategic, business and operational risks faced by USSU in particular those relating to governance, finance, student experience, health and safety, organisation, operations, reputation, HR and ICT. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. 

The Students’ Union prime risks are: 

- Failure to manage costs improve efficiency and maintain financial stability. Current mitigation: is Annual budgets detailed monitoring and production of monthly finance reports. Monthly finance meeting with quarterly trustee meetings. 

- Loss or reduction in annual subvention. Current mitigation: Continuing cooperation with the university encouragement of positive links from Sabbatical officers to key University personnel. Transparency of the USSU core aims and objectives 

- Failure to improve the student experience. Current mitigation: Implementation of the Zone structure enabling VP’s to complete their manifestos. 

Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. Budgetary and internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety of staff, volunteers and participants on all activities organised by the Union. Staff training and development are in place to ensure staff are aware of the risks and have the necessary skills and ability to complete the designated role. KPI’s are regularly reviewed to pick up any early warning signs that issues may be these occurring. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

This year, the risk of Covid 19 and its impact is considered on a rolling and future basis. The Union’s plans and response to the pandemic have been quickly delivered and are adaptable.  The Union team are paying particular attention to Rubix nightclub and the adaptations needed in order to deliver a Covid secure venue and social experience for the students. With the onset of Freshers week and the first few weeks of term, the Union has seen the positive impact that the ‘Rubix Lounge’ is making to students - they have a secure space in which to meet with others. This initiative is reviewed on a regular basis and it should be noted that while we do not have the expenditure associated with hosting acts or entertainment; the costs relevant to staffing and ensuring the venue adheres to the required levels of safety as a secure Covid zone, are very high. 

The Unions management team have produced differing scenario forecasts that take account of the Governments tier system. These will be referred to in order to ensure the financial viability of the Union for 2021/22 and onwards. 

## **Procedures and Policies of Trustee Induction and Training** 

In the year 2020/21 a new external trustee was appointed – Anne Milton and a new student trustee – Tom Marsh was appointed in July 2021.   Induction training was provided for the new trustees which included both internal and external training. On-going training will be made available to the trustees during their office including attendance at conferences, specific training events and access to website training materials. 

## **Group structure** 

The Student Union has a wholly owned subsidiary, Origin Events Limited. See Note 8 for further details. 

## **Aims, Objectives and activities** 

The Board of Trustees has identified The University of Surrey Students’ Union’s vision and mission as “To be a leading UK Students’ Union that has a positive impact on every University of Surrey student - To enrich students’ lives, the community in which they live and the University of Surrey by creating the changes they want and to enable them to achieve their ambitions”. During 2016/17, the board of trustees agreed a new five year strategy for the Students’ Union. This strategy was put to members for approval during the annual elections and 1847 members voted, with 89.5% approving the strategy. The key aims from the strategy are as follows 

   - **The Union will be proactive in learning what our members want:** By talking more to our members, giving them the opportunity to talk to us – easier and quicker, and doing quality research without the burden of endless lengthy surveys, the sabbaticals, and Union executive will have a closer and more relevant understanding of what our students think, and what is important to them. 

- **Student leaders will be supported to take action in response to the student voice:** To create change, and enrich the lives of our members, we must react to what we know. Although it is important to acknowledge that we are constrained by our charitable objectives. Student leaders are not just elected to deliver on election promises, but to react to the voice of students. 

   - **Elected student fcovidofficers will be supported to deliver on key manifesto pledges:** With a solid foundation of student opinion to support elected student officers in their decision making, it is also vital that student officers do not simply become messengers, reporting through committee what the latest survey results are. The diversity of ideas comes from the annual election process and the resultant manifestos. The representative democracy of the Students’ Union will be supported by enabling elected officers, not only to develop their election manifestos, but to deliver on them. 

- **Students will be well informed on the work of the Union and their representatives:** We will not just listen silently to our membership, but will inform them of what their Union has been doing in their name, and what it continues to do following what they have told us. By hearing about the impact their voice has made, and how they have been listened to, the credibility of the Union will be enhanced and continue a virtuous circle of student engagement. 

   - **Students will recognise the Union as an organisation that is true to their values:** The way the Students’ Union collectively operates is important, for the credibility of the organisation and the relationships that exist with external stakeholders as well as with our members. Our values will be rooted in what we do, elected officers, signatories, staff, and all active members will be expected to know what is expected of them in the living realisation of our values. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

In pursuit of these aims for public benefit, The University of Surrey Students’ Union will ensure the diversity of its membership is recognised, valued and supported and has established services for use by its members and to support its work with the University and other organisations on behalf of students. These include the Students’ Union support service, volunteering and training, diverse student activities, and support for student sports clubs and societies, alongside our commercial activities which include our Rubix nightclub. The 

Executive Officers of the Union sit on the majority of the committees of the University of Surrey and meet regularly with department and central service heads on campus. 

The charity trustees, have complied with their duty as determined by Section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 having due regard to the Charity Commission’s published general guidance concerning the operation of the public benefit requirement. 

The University of Surrey Students’ Union continues to represent the students of this University on relevant local, national and international issues by maintaining a high proportion of student representatives. The Union facilitates training and communication with 600 student course representatives and has a committee of 15 executive officers contributing across the University from SSLC (student liaison committees) to the highest University committees, Senate and Council. In 2019/20 the Union participated in the Student Life Pulse survey from Alterline ltd, which surveyed all students for their views on the Union and its activities. This now forms the basis of most KPI measurement. 

## **COVID-19 Student Support** 

This year, COVID-19 Student Support has been at the heart of the Union President’s work, from supporting individual students with personal circumstances, monitoring constantly changing regulations and lobbying changes within the University in the best interests of students. The pandemic has changed the face of the 2020/21 Sabbatical team’s year however under the President’s leadership they adapted and changed to ensure that the voice of the students was heard in an extremely challenging time. Examples of student-specific support included the President running COVID-19 drop-in sessions, following the January Lockdown announcement, talking to any student who had any worries or concerns and helping them to discover what the Students’ Union could do to support individual students. 

## **University Academic Safety Net** 

Following student concern regarding the change in grade averages, after the move to hybrid and fully online teaching in line with the local and national lockdowns, the Union President worked alongside the University to instigate a Safety Net Policy for students in line with the 2019/20 academic year. This Safety Net subsequently meant that a student’s overall mark for the 2020/21 academic year would not be lower than the grade achieved at the end of Semester 1. This came as a relief to many students who had rising concerns about the impact COVID-19 would have on their education and reassured many students that the educational impact that COVID-19 had on them would be effectively minimised. 

## **University Accommodation Rent Rebates** 

Alongside the news of local and national lockdowns by the Government in January, the news that students were unable to return to their student accommodation came as a potentially huge financial burden for many students, who were concerned they would be paying for University Accommodation that, by law, they were not allowed to return to. The President initiated frequent and in-depth conversations with the University emphasising the financial impact this will have on the community, and the unfairness that by following the law, students are taking the financial impact. 

Following successful lobbying and conversations, rent rebates for students in University residences were introduced from the 4th of January 2021. Students in residences that could not return had the opportunity to apply to receive 100% of their rent back for the period that they were not on site. This rebate scheme was agreed to continue until the end of the academic year, providing huge financial support for the Surrey student community in reflection of the government mandated changes. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **University Accountability** 

Following the University of Surrey’s substantial drop in the NSS and Guardian League Tables, the Students’ Union took student concerns to the University, explaining that their experience had not being suitable or what students had expected whilst being in Higher Education. A letter from the Students’ Union was produced and written to Professor Max Lu (Vice Chancellor) asking for an explanation of the drop and the University’s plans to refocus the student experience. 

Further examples of University accountability this academic year include continuing to lobby the University to divest from Barclays in line with the Students’ Union standpoint on the matter and querying decisions regarding tuition fees and not funding PCR tests for students alongside the decision made surrounding hybrid graduations, just to name a few. 

University Accountability has been at the heart of the Officer Team this academic year and has been integrated into all conversations and actions on student voice throughout all meetings, discussions, and conversations. 

## **First Offence Warden Fine Removal** 

At the start of the 2020/21 Academic Year, authorised personnel within the University can impose a level of discipline on our students which includes the chance to enforce on-the-spot monetary fines. Surrey prides itself on having a hugely diverse community with students from a variety of different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, and our student support needs to reflect this. 

On-the-spot monetary fines provide a disproportionate impact of discipline within our student community. With the potential of £50 fines for students, for some students this represents a small percentage of their weekly spending, however to some students this can equate to 2 weeks’ worth of shopping. 

It is the duty of the University to safeguard our students and ensure that they are healthy, and that means we must limit significant negative impact, as much as possible. 

A proposal was accepted and approved to implement the following as a one-year policy change trial: 

The standard position will be that on-the-spot fines will not be issued for 1st offences, with the exception being those of dangerous actions to the student and others where the severity is reflected in escalation. Any fines for 1st offences will be suspended and only activated if a panel is convened, except for dangerous actions. 

Second offences automatically result in activation of a suspended fine or panel referral A Communal Living Workshop will be introduced in relace of a first offence warden fine. 

The Communal Living Workshops were incredibly successful this academic year and there has been agreement to continue this proposal for future academic years, a huge success. 

## **Launched the Surrey Sabbcast** 

A new endeavour for the 2020/21 Academic Year was the introduction of the Surrey Sabbcast, a weekly podcast hosted by the Sabbatical officers (Sabbs). This podcast gave Sabbatical team the opportunity to highlight specific topics prominent in Higher Education or specifically to Surrey at the time, alongside updating students about what each Sabbatical officer has been working on and continues to work on, on behalf of students. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

Throughout the year, the Sabbs have also had the pleasure of hosting numerous different guests from across the academic and student community. To name just a few, these sabbcasts included: 

Return to Campus Special with Lucy Evans, Deborah Lawson, and Stephen Wells The Rule of Six Explained with Jim Dickinson from WONKHE The Race Experience at Surrey with Muse Berhe and Dr Alfred Thumser Safety Net & Extenuating Circumstances with Adam Child, Cathy Derham and Zoe Wilkes LGBT+ History Month Special with Michael Hassel and Erin Baker Colourism Special with Catherine Anyanwu 

## **Voice Your Opinion Forums** 

Student Voice Forums are a core part of the Students’ Union and ensuring that students have the opportunity to question senior management and have their voices heard at all levels. With the constantly changing government regulations, the President introduced the Voice Your Opinion Forums to run between Student Voice Forums. These forums focused on specific concerns from students, with the relevant members of academic and support staff from the University present in line with key student concerns. These forums provided a platform for the student voice to be heard, and additional support to be provided, through an incredibly turbulent year. 

## **RAG Committee Introduction** 

As a Students’ Union, Raising and Giving (RAG) should be a staple of our ethos, and everything done to support it. The Students’ Union have already made huge strides in the development of RAG at Surrey, with the re-introduction of a RAG Chair as a specific Part-Time Community Zone Position and the encouragement of RAG Reps within our clubs & societies. 

The next step is to bring together those reps and students with an interest in RAG and co-ordinate our approach and activities. This will allow us to raise the profile of RAG both on and off campus, and raise as much money as possible for the charities that students have voted to support. 

This RAG committee would be similar in structure to the Sport & Society Standing in which our RAG Chair would lead the meeting and all RAG Reps would be invited to attend. This invitation would also be extended to any students within the Surrey community who have a specific interest in raising and giving and are not currently involved in a club or society or are individual charity fundraisers themselves. This committee will commence at the start of the 2021/22 Academic Year. 

## **Part Time Officer Involvement & Awareness** 

Feedback from part-time officer’s in previous years has outlined that involvement and awareness was limited in comparison to Sabbatical officers within the team. This year, the President ensured that alongside the Sabbatical officer introductions at the beginning of their term, part-time officers were also spotlighted to ensure that students knew who they were. Alongside this, part-time officer ‘wins’ were introduced, so that specific success stories from individual part-time officers could be celebrated and were not incorporated into the zone wins that are published, which are naturally linked to the Sabbatical officer who is leading that zone. 

Alongside this, the Union President began mandated and regular catch ups between the part-time officers (PTOs) and key members of the Executive Board. It came to light that Sabbatical officers often had the chance to question members of the Executive Board on a regular basis however our part-time officers often did not. The introduction of regular (minimum once per semester) meetings between these two groups meant that students were able to directly hold senior management to account and subsequently feed responses back to their peer group. On top of this, if PTOs wanted to focus on a specific topic, chances were organised for the interested officers to meet with members of staff that were directly involved in areas concerned. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Letter to Matt Hancock regarding COVID-19 Student Blame** 

Subsequent to the announcement by Matt Hancock (MP) in Semester one that it was believed that young people were to blame for the increase in a rise in COVID-19 cases in the UK, the President saw the dissatisfaction expressed by Surrey students and took action in the form of a joint Students’ Union letter from Sabbatical officers from around the country to Matt Hancock, disagreeing with these claims. 

The letter was sent on behalf of over 30 Students’ Union with close to 40 signatures from different Sabbatical officers within those charities. The letter demonstrated the power of coming together as a collective of student representatives and the power that Unions have, to make sure that the Student Voice is heard at government level, regardless of high-level opinion. 

## **Yearly Standing Motion Report Introduction** 

Feedback from students this academic year expressed a concern that when motions are passed at committees such as the executive committee, in previous years there has been limited updates on the status of different motions and their actions, so the Union President took the initiative to introduce the ‘Yearly Standing Motion Report’, one which is hoped to continue and roll over year to year. 

The report will outline every motion that is currently standing at the Students’ Union. Each action will be listed and progress on this action and whether it is complete or still in progress will be outlined. This report will increase the transparency on the workings of the Union and hold officers to account following the mandate that a motion ensues. At the end of the report each year, a list of actions for each zone will be mandated and passed over to the next officer team to achieve. 

## **Armed Forces Covenant** 

A lot of work this year focused on ensuring students from Widening Participation backgrounds had access to the tailored and sustained support that was required to help them thrive at university; This led to the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. The signing of this covenant, following lobbying by the Students’ Union, represents a commitment that the University makes to ensure that students and staff who have a military connection are not disadvantaged during their further education journey. This commitment includes including deployment evidence as valid grounds for EC’s and increased wellbeing support. 

## **Free School Meals & Work within the Community** 

Following the announcement from the Government that they would not be providing free school meals during the October half term for those children eligible for free school meals, the Students’ Union and the University came together to provide free meals for those that need it most at Kings College School in Park Barn. This collaboration demonstrated the way that the University and the Union can come together to support the local community and our Guildford residents. 

## **Miscarriage Policy Introduction** 

Miscarriage is the most common type of pregnancy loss, affecting 1 in 4 pregnancies and a quarter of a million people in the United Kingdom each year, yet when you explore many employers’ parental bereavement and maternity policies, these specifically dictate that they only offer support after 24 weeks. Effectively, support by many employers exists solely for stillbirths, rather than encompassing miscarriages as well. 

It is important within institutions that those who have experienced such loss are provided with incremental support. Support is often suggested for those individuals who have been personally impacted, however, the partners who have shared in the journey can all but be forgotten about. Ensuring that a support network is there for the individuals who have suffered such bereavement is imperative, hence the importance of offering support for partners of individuals who have miscarried. Partners should not need to use sick leave to offer support through this. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

Within its maternity policies the University of Surrey Students’ Union (USSU) have introduced and codified support for employees should they experience a miscarriage, either directly or as a partner. Pregnant USSU employees who experience a miscarriage are eligible for 6 weeks fully paid sick leave (once the baby is past 12 weeks’ gestation). USSU employees whose pregnant partners experience a miscarriage are eligible for 3 weeks fully paid sick leave (once the baby is past 12 weeks’ gestation). None of this support will be included in yearly sick pay leave allowance to ensure future circumstances are not impacted. 

## **Period Poverty** 

Period Poverty within the student population has become a key topic among Higher Education Institutions over the past couple of years and it was vitally important the University of Surrey offered support for those students who may not be able to afford sanitary products, with this came the launch of the Period Poverty Initiative at Surrey. 

With approval of funding from the University, four different free vend stations will be placed around both campuses which will offer 24 hours free vend of period products for any student that needs it. These will always endeavour to be in unisex locations to ensure access for everyone. Alongside this, there will be a developed project within the HIVE which will offer free period products alongside items to support students when things may go wrong such as additional underwear. 

Following lobbying from the Students’ Union, the University have committed to cover all costs for a 6-month trial starting in September 2021 which the Union hopes to continue as a long-term project in the future as a commitment to support our students and their health. 

## **Widening Participation Focus Groups & Report** 

At Surrey, we are incredibly lucky to have a hugely diverse student community with thousands of students from different backgrounds, however, this means we have thousands of students with different education and holistic needs. 

The initiative was taken to run a series of focus groups with different widening participation groups (e.g. commuter students, mature students, LGBT+ Students) to discover more about their experiences, what they would change and what the future student experience of students like them should look like. These recommendations were then formulated to offer recommendations to the University to ensure that the best, tailored and sustained support is offer to all of our students from all different walks of life. 

## **Free Speech** 

The much publicised bill on freedom of speech was launched in 2021 to combat the perceived “chilling effect” of free speech curbs in higher education. We worked with a small group of other Student Unions and the policy website Wonkhe to produce our answer to what we believe the problem is. In short, we do not believe that there is the so- called “chilling effect”, however a very small number of isolated incidents have been misreported in the press for political gain. We did however agree that there are things we could do better, and as a group, produced a proposal for a new code for campus free speech1. Since the publication of this report we have had, and will continue to have meaningful discussions with the officials in the Dept of Education prior to the final guidance for the act being published. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **ZONE ACTIVITY** 

The work of the Union is presented in four zones, Voice, Activity, Support and Community. Each zone is led by a VP with the President in overall leadership of the Union. 

## **VOICE ZONE** 

In a challenging year for student engagement, the Voice Zone has worked closely together to achieve outcomes for students, despite the difficulties we have all experienced working remotely throughout. 

## **Black History Month** 

At the beginning of the year, the Zone worked to coordinate the Student Union’s contribution to Black History Month alongside staff from the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion department.  A joint calendar of events was produced featuring Union societies and University-led events, including an online panel discussion organised by the VP Voice with participation from for members of the black community representing alumni, University academic and professional services staff, and featuring the VP Voice 2019-20, Ajay Ajimobi.  The team also produced the content for the Union’s channels on Black History, signposting members to further reading. 

## **A New Liberation Network** 

The VP Voice led discussions within the Union on the future of the Liberation Committee, which had been incomplete in the previous year and was a source of frustration to students and their representatives.  Working with the Union Chair and Union’s Management Committee, it was agreed that a new Liberation Network would be piloted which brought students together from liberation backgrounds and beyond, to work on campaigns and projects and to take part in activity. 

The network successfully formed but was limited in the activity that could take place.  At the Union’s Annual Members’ Meeting in May 2021, it was agreed that the Liberation Network would replace the Liberation Committee, and next year aim to expand and reinvigorate liberation activism and activity on campus, to ensure all sectors of the student body are acknowledged and celebrated. 

## **Democratic Activity** 

During a challenging year we conducted three main democratic events: 

Make Your Change: Students at Surrey vote annually on their ‘priority campaign’ for the year.  This year, although idea submissions from students were lower, turnout for voting (860) was nearly double the previous year.  The winning idea was once again Sustainable Surrey and this idea was taken forward by the Community Zone who hosted several successful Sustainability Forum events. 

Group AGMs and EGMs: This year all 176 group AGMs and 44 EGMs took place online via Teams using a workflow which enabled officers to officiate them remotely, using online voting.  In the light of the pandemic and lack of engagement between some members and their clubs and societies, some temporary changes were made to the Union’s rules, including allowing groups to remain active provided they could elect at least 2 signatories rather than the usual 3.  This helped enable most student groups to stay active into the next academic year. 

Surrey Decides (main election process): Our normal officer elections were postponed due to the pandemic and took place in late April/early May.  Rescheduling the election enabled Surrey to be the only Students’ Union to host an in-person Question Time event, which took place in the Marquee and live online.  Participation in the election reached 71 nominations and a voter turnout of 2257 votes, which compares favourably across the sector during a difficult year.  A full officer team was elected for the academic year 2021-22. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Course Representatives** 

The Course Representatives (Course Rep) programme underwent numerous significant changes this year. Firstly, due to the pandemic, all Course Rep training had to take place online, and all our Student Voice Forum events similarly were hosted digitally. Continuing the previous success of hosting an online Course Rep nomination process, this year we streamlined the process, culminating in elections running in their smoothest manner this May. During the year, we also transferred Rep training content onto the new Skills Platform, to share the knowledge gained by Reps to other students, supporting the Union’s Employability Pulse opportunity. We also wrote and submitted a proposal to standardise PGR Course Rep elections, in order to improve consistency, democracy, and awareness of the PGR Rep role. The hope is that PGR Rep elections will be improved and implemented in October 2021. Finally, we also worked collaboratively with the University Comms team to raise awareness of Course Reps by producing promotional videos and Rep Profiles which were hosted on the Union website and also emailed out in personalised messages to all students. 

Course Reps themselves have worked hard to balance the voluntary role alongside their studies in an unusual year, whilst also adapting to hybrid learning, and facing the challenge of not being able to meet all their peers or chat to them face to face to gather feedback. However, Reps have been vital in consulting on changes to modules and assessments for hybrid learning, and helping to create community within departments, with some Reps starting fantastic initiatives such as thank you Christmas cards for academic staff, student buddy schemes, online coffee mornings, and games nights. Finally, Reps have worked hard to adapt to the new student feedback platform, MySurrey Voice (powered by Unitu), and encouraging students to utilise the platform to share their feedback, concerns, and praise. 

## **MySurrey Voice** 

In August 2020, the Vice-Provost Education, Prof. Osama Khan, aimed to implement a new student feedback platform, Unitu. The Voice Zone were involved in the project group for the implementation of the platform, and in just under 6 weeks, contributed to the successful launch. The Voice Zone was involved in finalising branding, marketing materials, student communications, updating University policies, and numerous other strategic decisions. 

The new platform also required a redesign of all our Course Rep promotional materials, training content, and policy documents to account for the new platform. The work of the Zone was highly valued in the implementation of this project. Over the year, the Zone has worked to support Reps in adapting to the new platform and liaised with the University to raise any concerns around student and staff usage of the platform. 98% of Course Reps have activated their accounts, though student activation has been lower. Most recently, the Zone has begun collaboratively evaluating the platform with the aim to increase its impact for 2021/22. 

## **Student Voice Forum** 

The Student Voice Forum was hosted entirely online through the year and achieved its greatest level of participation, with 370 Course Reps in attendance at the second (February) forum. The forum meetings provided an essential live connection between the student body and University decision makers, and discussed prevalent issues including hybrid learning, rent rebates, the new MySurrey Voice platform and University to student communications. 

Continuing with the themed Forum structure, the discussions this year were particularly helpful in addressing bigger issues impacting the wider student body, rather than individual issues with limited relevancy to the full audience. We also continued to utilise interactive polls via Menti to gather live feedback on these topics, which have proved helpful in platforming the student voice on these wider issues. We extend our thanks to our University colleagues Professor Osama Khan, Andy Chalklin and Lucy Evans for their participation in these panel events. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Zone Member Achievements** 

Despite the difficulties of operating mainly virtually, the Part-Time Officers within the Voice Zone this year have made significant contributions in promoting the student voice at Surrey: 

Collaborated with the Support and Activity Zones on campaigns such as Eating Disorder Awareness and projects such as a Signatory Exit Survey. 

Ran dedicated campaigning workshop to educate students on running an effective campaign. 

Made substantive contributions to make the Union and University feedback systems such as MySurrey Voice more effective. 

Contributed to Course Rep training, including material for Joint Honours students to help them navigate the complexities of their course administration. 

Advocated for PGR Course Rep elections to be standardised alongside creating a Postgraduate Engagement Forum chairs forum. 

Liaised with University communications team to ensure that students are receiving relevant information from the University, and suggesting how communications can be better tailored for PGR students. 

Met with Employability & Careers team regarding improved support for placement students. 

Had regular meetings with senior management to hold them to account for their promises at Zone meetings and All Officer meetings on topics including assessments and hybrid learning. 

Organised a campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout in Guildford local elections. 

Contributed to ensuring SurreyDecides ran smoothly, through chairing debates, promoting elections, and moderating public comments. 

## **VP Voice Achievements** 

In addition to the projects and successes outlined earlier, the VP Voice has been involved in numerous University projects and working groups and has also worked to implement manifesto points throughout the year. Firstly, with the aim to align Course Reps more closely with departmental societies, the new society role of Departmental Liaison Officer was created. This role exists to expose Course Reps to the society membership to diversify the feedback they gather, and also to provide an opportunity for departmental societies to contribute to feedback discussions. This pilot idea has hopefully set positive groundwork to be built upon in the coming academic year, especially as society activity begins to resume following the lifting of Covid restrictions. 

Secondly, the VP Voice also worked to represent accessibility issues to the University and to continue to advocate for improved accessibility across Surrey campuses. This has included policy work throughout the pandemic, securing carer campus cards, and making practical improvements such as accessible ramps and fixing lifts. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

Finally, throughout the year, the VP Voice has contributed to the Learning Analytics project and the Academic Standards and Curriculum Review project, consulted on the Doctoral College’s proposal for PHDs by Publication, and has collaborated with the Library team to increase access to online e-textbooks via Bibliu, amongst other work throughout the year. 

## **Pulse Achievements** 

The Voice Zone has seen some key achievements in Pulse results this year. Agreement that “The Students’ Union effectively represents students’ academic interests” rose from 58% in 2019/20 to 66% in 2020/21. Similarly, satisfaction and agreement to questions such as “The Students’ Union represents students on the right academic issues”, “I know what the Students’ Union is doing to represent my academic interests”, and “The Students’ Union represents the views of students effectively” also rose from 19/20 to 20/21. Awareness and use of Course Reps also rose this year, including awareness of how to contact Course Reps, and awareness that Course Reps are part of the SU, both of which have been particular areas of focus. Finally, agreement with the statement “I can influence decisions made by the Students’ Union” rose by 7% in Pulse 2 this year. 

## **ACTIVITY ZONE** 

## **Clubs and Societies** 

The Activity Zone’s clubs and societies continue to amaze with their valuable contribution to the student experience at Surrey. Despite the majority of activity being on hold for almost 50% of the year, many student groups created online communities and kept morale high with over 9000 student club and society memberships being recorded. 

Highlights for Team Surrey clubs included Netball putting on a string of virtual charity events accessible to all and raising much needed funds for Oakleaf, Rape Crisis UK and the Netball Development Trust; Fencing completing a 12 hour lunge-a-thon in aid of Surrey Nightline; Boat Club members covered over 4600km to raise money for Guildford Action and worked closely with AgeUK Surrey to support elderly patients over Christmas and Women’s Football organised walking challenges, virtual horse racing and participated in the Tri-Kelly’s Challenge to raise money for Movember, Macmillan, The Children’s Trust and The Alzheimer’s Society. 

Some clubs were fortunate enough to be able to compete and had some great results. Triathlon were one of the first clubs to compete in BUCS in 2020/21 and did not disappoint. Roisin Browne came third in April’s Duathlon and went even better weeks later at the Standard Triathlon, winning gold in the female event – the first Surrey female to ever do so! The men did well too, gaining three top 30 finishes in the Duathlon and a 9th place for Luke Gwenter in the Standard Triathlon. Boat Club’s dedicated athletes had their hard work pay-off at a successful BUCS Regatta in June taking home 2 Gold medals, 8 Silver medals and 1 Bronze medals. Finally, Karting resumed their British University Champs competition and narrowly missed out on the medals claiming a very respectable 5th place out of 40 universities and the Canoe Club achieved an excellent 4th place at the BUCS Canoe Polo Championships; their best finish to date! 

Societies have equally impressed in their efforts this year; Islamic Society raised an incredible £30,000 during their Islamic fundraising week; Paramedic Society created a video for mental health awareness which went viral and the president was invited to BBC Surrey to discuss the project; Business Society were shortlisted at the Bright Network Society of the Year Awards 2020 under the category of “Impact on Campus”; Christian Union organised a two-week long event on Zoom called ‘Encounter’, they invited speakers and interviewees from around the world (US to Africa) to speak which was well attended; Surrey Economics and Finance Society managed to partner with five organizations and secured sponsorships from companies such as Lazard and Charles Stanley, which is definitely a big feat for a society running under the pressures of Covid-19 restrictions and  Dodgeball organised ‘Operation: Spread Joy’, a project set up as a continuation from last year, to give back to the Guildford community and provide those who are struggling on the streets with a bag of essential items including toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, face masks, comb, socks, gloves and some bags had extra items such as scarfs, hairbands and sanitary products for female specific bags. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **COVID-19 Officers** 

One of Activity’s biggest successes of the year was the recruitment, training and implementation of over 400 volunteer COVID-19 Officers. Any society that wanted to resume their core activity or hold a social had to nominate at least one Covid-19 Officer, this involved leading on the health & safety of the group, risk assessing activity and ensuring that all measures put in place were satisfied. This involved extra work for our groups but they fully embraced the new role and complied with our new measures. 

## **Signatory Exit Survey** 

Working with the Voice Zone, we launched our first Signatory Exit survey for the outgoing 2020/21 committees. We received a response rate of around 15% to questions concerning readiness for signatory roles, club/society feeling valued and employability and wellbeing being supported. We had some really pleasing results, with over 75% of respondents reporting they felt the Union and/or Team Surrey had fully equipped them in feeling ready to run a club or society; 70% strongly agreed or agreed the Union and/or Team Surrey had communicated effectively and nearly 70% believing that the Union and/or Team Surrey had supported the wellbeing of committee and members.  The results of the survey will be shared with the incoming Activity Zone with an action plan being created and objectives assigned to the team. We will also continue to use this survey annually and increase the response rate. 

## **Drug & Alcohol Awareness Campaign** 

This year, VP Activity & VP Community conducted research into student drug use at the University of Surrey by sharing a survey across a range of Union platforms. Over 800 students took part in the survey with the key finding being that drug use is relatively common among Surrey students, with 43% of respondents reported having used drugs while at the university. Many respondents, including those who had not personally partaken in drug use, disclosed an awareness for drug use being a regular occurrence at Surrey. The data from the survey was turned into a drug use report with the intention of reviewing it every couple of years to identify how drug behaviours, experiences and attitudes of students are changing. The student drug report was presented to Management Committee in November 2020 and it was agreed that the Union would form a partnership with drug alcohol & harm reduction group, Neurosight. 

Neurosight worked with us to reduce drug-related harm through evidence-based practices by conducting research and delivering educational workshops and webinars to our students and also by helping us review our Students’ Union and University drug policies and procedures. We held several meetings with key stakeholders at the University to discuss adopting “harm reduction” as opposed to the current “zero-tolerance” stance on drug use in order to protect students and give them a safe space to feel comfortable enough to ask for help, without having to worry about any repercussions. As a result, the University did a review of their own drug policy and updated it in March 2021. They are planning to launch their first ever drug campaign in September 2021 as a result of these conversations. 

One of the objectives of this campaign is continuity, therefore we have opened up an Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) at Surrey after getting approval from Management Committee. SSDP is a global network of students who lobby for fairer drug policies and greater harm reduction education. Any student can get involved in this group and help organise drug education events, host discussions and be a voice within drug reform activism. 

## **Transgender & Non-Binary Policy** 

Following feedback from Surrey’s transgender community that they felt excluded from sport due to the gender segregation prevalent throughout most clubs, we created the Union’s first Transgender & Non-Binary policy. This allowed transgender students to know their rights when joining a club or attending an event with a binary element and also to educate club committees on how to be more inclusive, not only in welcoming all students but with the language and behaviours used. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

As a segue to launching the policy, we invited Loughborough University’s Joanna Harper to talk at Sports Standing on the barriers that transgender individuals face when it comes to sport along with the science behind hormone replacement therapy and how it affects athletes. Joanna is an advisor and consultant to several international sporting federations including the International Olympic Committee so to have her speak to Surrey students was a significant coup. 

## **Employable Me** 

This year we chose to have a more regular and consistent Employable Me message rather than a couple of key events. We implemented Employable Me Mondays on the Union’s Instagram stories featuring current students who had held a volunteering position within the Union talking about the skills they’d gained and if/how they had engaged with the University’s Careers & Employability platform. This was then followed up with links to any employability related workshops or sessions happening that week and proved successful in increasing the numbers engaged with such sessions. 

## **Tri-Kelly’s Challenge** 

The restrictions didn’t prevent us from holding the annual Kelly’s Storage charity event; this year in the guise of a virtual three-way challenge where participants could walk, run or cycle to meet a target distance over a three-week period. Over 110 students took part and raised much needed funds for RAG’s chosen charities, The Children’s Trust and The Alzheimer’s Society. 

## **International Women’s Day** 

This year’s International Women’s Day saw the Union run an online awareness campaign which many clubs and societies got behind with the hashtag #choosetochallenge. 

## **Colours Awards** 

Despite the lack of sport this year, we still awarded a large number of Club, Half and Full Colours to students who had either gone above and beyond their role in contributing to the organisation of their club or performed at a high level for their university and beyond. We were also able to host an in-person ceremony, joint with Union Ball, in The Marquee much to the delight of hundreds of students! 

## **STARs Awards** 

This year STARs Awards were changed to incorporate a new badge scheme. We have five badges each with their own criteria that clubs and societies can work towards gaining. This was based upon feedback from students that STARs awards were too broad in the past and clubs and societies wanted to be able to focus on one specific area. 

The badges we awarded were: 

Collaboration badge 

Community Outreach, Volunteering and Fundraising badge Wellbeing Badge Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Badge Employable me Badge 

Despite the difficulty in being able to achieve some of the criteria due to the pandemic, we were still able to award six societies with Gold Stars Awards (4 or more badges). One Society with Silver (3 badges) and seven Societies with Bronze (1/2 badges). For the Gold Stars winners we presented them with a certificate at the Awards night and also hosted a pizza and prosecco party for them in The Marquee. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **SUPPORT ZONE** 

## **Academic Advice** 

The Support Zone has seen an increasing number of students seeking support from the Academic Advice team, and whilst the overall increase is low (9.2% increase), we have seen a 23.5% increase in the number of more complex student cases coming to the service including Disciplinaries, Fitness to Practise and Academic Integrity cases. To accommodate for the increase in students we have recruited another full-time Support Coordinator, to help with the growing advice service and Support Zone projects. 

Throughout the pandemic we have continued our online service, providing Teams calls to support students through online Panels and meetings. Additionally, we have continued our drop-in Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) session and academic appeal service through Zoom. Since the success of some of our advice outreach programmes, we have continued our Instagram takeovers “Ask Me Anything” about academic advice. We have also increased our provision for support by introducing “Quick Queries” – 15-minute bookable appointments with a member of the advice team. 

This year, we have also submitted a proposal to the University to implement changes to the Regulations for Academic Integrity to increase the range of penalties available to Academic’s when giving a penalty of misconduct to students. Currently, the Union believe the penalties are too harsh when looking at the sector and we hope that this proposal will be considered for the new academic year. 

## **Welfare Watch** 

Welfare Watch ran throughout Fresher’s week at the Lake and in The Marquee but with COVID-19 restrictions, they were unable to continue for the remainder of the academic year. They were, however able to support with some of our other Union projects including a campaign for safe alcohol and drug use on campus, ‘Light up the Night’ and other safety awareness campaigns. Additionally, Welfare Watch members were part of a consultation with Surrey Police and the local community to help raise awareness of lone women on a night out in Guildford. Welfare Watch are looking forward to returning to campus for Fresher’s week 2021. 

## **Student Minds** 

Following the successful launch of the Student Minds: Positive Minds peer support group in the 2019/20 academic year, Student Minds continued their support offering this academic year. The peer support group aims to support students who are experiencing low mood or depression at university, through a range of group facilitation sessions, which focus on different themes for recovery. 

The Support Zone and Student Minds committee trained 12 new Peer Support Facilitators who were inducted into the programme in October 2020. Student Minds had a successful first term and were able to provide a 6- week face to face cycle of the support group, as well as offering a 4-week online cycle. 

As the University and the UK went into lockdown in January 2021, the Student Minds committee arranged for support through exams, providing an online space for students to revise together. 

They also ran a further three cycles of the Positive Minds sessions with good attendance throughout. The success of the online programmes led to consultation with the charity Student Minds, who adopted the online programme at other Universities. 

A new committee has been elected for the new academic year 2021/22 with plans to expand the provision of the service to cover more mental health campaigns and running ‘Motivate Me’, a peer support group for students with eating difficulties. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Nightline** 

Nightline have adapted well to the pandemic and although the listening volunteers were unable to access their office to provide phone call and Instant Messaging support to students, they continued to run their 24 hour email service for students who needed a listening ear. The new Nightline committee have been elected for the 21/22 academic year, with plans for additional training cycles in September 2021, before the semester starts, to ensure volunteer engagement ready for Freshers’ Week. 

## **Bereavement Support** 

Following the ‘Being Well,Doing Well’ wellbeing survey, which identified that 51% of Surrey students experience a loss whilst they are at University, the VP Support manifesto this year focused on ensuring there was more support in place for students who experienced a bereavement or loss at university. 

The University agreed to amend the Regulations for Extenuating Circumstances to make it easier for students to confirm a death of a significant other, meaning that you only need to provide evidence of the death and not additional evidence to confirm the relationship to the student. This has made it more accessible for students to access extensions and deferrals on assessments when they are grieving, which has been especially important throughout the pandemic. 

The VP Support also worked in collaboration with the Chaplaincy to introduce an online Bereavement Support Group for students who have experienced loss or who are grieving, no matter when the loss happened. A safe space to discuss thoughts and feelings with other students experiencing similar things, the support group has been popular with students and will continue into the next academic year. 

## **No More to Sexual Violence and Misconduct** 

One of the more memorable Support Zone campaigns this year was “No More Week” which focused on saying ‘No More’ to sexual violence and misconduct on campus, following alarming statistics from the NUS and our ‘Being Well,Doing Well’ survey. With a passionate Support Zone this year, their manifestos focused on calling the University and Union to action to change the culture on campus and reduce sexual violence to students. The campaign was a huge success and saw hundreds of students take part in our ‘Light Up The Night’ COVID19-secure march on campus to raise awareness and bring together the community. 

Additionally, the Consent Course was launched earlier this year, in November 2020 and asked students to sign up to #MakethePledge to educate themselves on consent and bystander behaviour, to make the campus a safer place for everyone. The campaign was launched with a video including sports clubs and societies encouraging their peers to take the course. The ‘No More’ campaign also included education sessions for men on ‘How to be an Ally’ and called upon students to once again, #MakethePledge. 

Following the campaign, the University and Council have committed to looking at campus and community lighting to make areas safer. The University have also arranged the training of three staff to become SVLO’s (Sexual Violence Liaison Officer’s), and new policies and support provisions are being developed for our Student Sex Workers. 

## **How to be an Ally** 

The VP Support introduced a new series of events named “How to be an Ally” and focused on educating Surrey students on how they can be an ally to marginalised or vulnerable groups in society. Collaborating with the zones, societies, and other VP’s, ‘How to be an Ally’ was ran online for a series of topics including: Black culture, LGBTQ+, Women and non-men, autism and invisible disabilities. 

## **Other Campaigns** 

Throughout the academic year, the Support Zone also ran their usual campaigns including ‘SurreyLove’, which provided virtual activities to support revision and wellbeing over the examination period. We also ran our Wellbeing Week in week 5 (also known as ‘drop-out week’) to provide a space for students to relax and opportunities to talk about their experiences at university with a range of activities. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

We also ran our ‘Tea, Toast and Talk’ breakfast club, yoga sessions, online revision sessions with Student Minds and a host of other events. 

## **COMMUNITY ZONE** 

Following the COVID-19  restrictions, this year’s social activities were heavily affected.  Many Students’ Unions switched to completely online activity and closed their venues for the duration of the pandemic. We, however, faced the challenges head-on and took every opportunity to offer as much in-person activity that was physically possible whilst adhering to COVID-19 restrictions. We strived to ensure students felt a part of a community at Surrey and we can look back now on this year and know that we did everything in our power to create a real student experience. 

## **Freshers’ Week** 

Against the odds we provided a combination of in-person and online Freshers’ experiences for the incoming cohort. Armed with around 140 willing volunteers the Moving-In operation ran smoother than ever, with arrivals sticking strictly to their time slots which were more evenly spread over the weekend. 

Whilst the Freshers’ Angels and Super Angels were instructed not to _physically_ help move belongings they were a great reassuring and supportive energy to students and parents arriving on campus for the first time. This was especially important at a time of uncertainty and additional worry, and their presence was greatly received. 

## A sample of the feedback we received  - 

_“My wife and I want to thank all of the staff and students who made moving our daughter into the Stag Hill residences such a pleasant and easy task. The organisation was faultless, the students helping out were very friendly and everyone we met went “the extra mile” to help out”_ 

_“Our daughter moved into University today and we were very impressed by the arrangements on campus of the Welcome staff , they were enthusiastically (all of them) waving saying hello directing us to where we needed to go.”_ 

_“We would like to thank everyone for making us feel so welcome yesterday! On arrival it was great to receive such friendly greetings and waves from the yellow shirts! We were impressed with how all was so organised with the car windscreen hangers and parking. Clear directions were given.”_ 

_“You made us feel very welcome especially during these strange Co-vid times where it was reassuring to see that life at the University of Surrey has not stopped, but people have stepped up to the challenge and really well organised a crucial day in the life of our son.”_ 

A socially distanced Freshers’ Fair was held in The Marquee. The majority of other Universities only had a virtual Freshers’ Fair, however we rose to the challenge and managed to successfully hold both a physical and online Fair. In-person stalls were distanced with a one system in place and students signed up for a free ticketed time slot online. Numbers were limited so the only impact was that only first years could attend. 

Overall, feedback was that students had a better experience as the Fair was less crowded and it was easier to see everything properly and talk to people. We have learnt from this experience and in future will continue with ticketed timeslots and a one way system. We also used QR codes and went paperless to avoid handouts for COVID-19 reasons, however we will also continue to do this is future to save wasting paper. 

Due to restrictions we were unable to open Rubix as a nightclub, however again we faced this challenge head on and delivered a COVID-19 secure outdoor event by The Lake. A big screen and stage showed entertainment including DJ’s, films, live music and performances. There were 100 picnic benches for students to sit in groups of 6 and food and drinks could be ordered via an app. This was hugely successful and provided students with a place to socialise. The lake was enjoyed so much we would like to do something similar in future as it provides an alternative to clubbing. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Rubix / The Marquee** 

Following on from a successful COVID-19 safe Freshers’ Week and restrictions not allowing clubs to re-open for the foreseeable future, we transformed Rubix into a Lounge. We put pool tables by Hari’s Bar, and created a ‘speakeasy’ style décor on the dancefloor, including extra sofas on the balcony. Lord Falafel also provided a food service. 

The seated capacity of Rubix was limited to approx. 250 which unfortunately wasn’t big enough for the number of students still wishing to socialise and it was full almost every night. The University recognised this and supported us to turn The Marquee into a COVID-19 safe event space. We moved the picnic benches, bar, screen, décor from the lake into the marquee and it was immediately hugely popular. It did have to shut for a number of months between November 2020 and April 2021 due to another lockdown, however it has been a very popular beer garden from mid-April until July 2021. 

We switched to a better app (Served Up) allowing much quicker speed of service and had visiting food traders each week. It was so popular we had to buy more picnic benches, increasing the capacity to over 800 making it the biggest COVID-19 secure events space in the country. After term ended, we kept The Marquee open for a number of students still in Guildford and fortunately showing the Euros worked in our favour. The Marquee closed as an entertainment venue at the beginning of July so it could be set up for Graduations. 

We had planned to open Rubix on the 21st June, the initial planned reopening date of nightclubs, however that was delayed by the government, and we regrettably refunded all tickets. Rubix opening on the 19th July for the second week of Graduations and our biggest Grad Ball ever, taking place on the 23rd July 2021. Our first big unrestricted event in 18 months. 

## **Showcase and Cultural Events** 

In addition to social events we were also able to host a number of key Union and society events in The Marquee. One World Gala was able to take place without an audience and was livestreamed. One World Fashion Show was introduced too and the participating societies had a chance to show off their traditional dress and the fashion society commentated. Over the last few weeks Holi Ball, Hellenic Night, Bhangra Night and Spanish Night were also held in The Marquee. 

Union and Colours Balls were combined into one event and all nominees and their guests were invited to attend an awards ceremony in the Marquee. Winners collected their awards in person and the ceremony was also livestreamed. 

A manifesto pledge of VP Community was to create a ‘UniVision Song Contest’, to bring together musicians from across UK universities to compete in a Eurovision-style event. The event was organised by a large team of staff and students, including the University’s music and media students who used their work on the show for practical assignments. The live finale was a great success, with Alys from ACM being announced as the winner. A playback of the show is available at www.univison.show. 

VP Community also organised PrideFest in The Marquee for LGBT+ Pride Month, including performances from local drag queen, Tiana Biscuit and Community Zone-elect member KJ Acolina. During the periods that physical events weren’t allowed we continued to Livestream the weekly quiz to keep students engaged and we streamed a special Glitterbomb night for LGBT+ history month. 

Over the Christmas period loneliness was a huge concern to the Zone,  especially as many students were not able to travel home and shops and services were closed because of lockdown. Supported by the University, we were able to open The Marquee on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and provide a free meal and a free movie to those in need. VP Community also created a calendar of events occurring during the University vacation period, to keep students’ entertained. 

Following on from Christmas we supported students on campus by serving over 300 free meals from Youngs Kitchen for Lunar New Year. This included a DIY dumpling kit to encourage students to do something interactive, and to enjoy with their household. 

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**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Volunteering** 

Despite the restrictions imposed on students, they still found many ways to engage with volunteering whilst at home or online. Here are some of the highlights: 

72 opportunities applied for By 976 student volunteers Who logged 14594 hours of volunteering 

We have reached a record number of volunteers registered on the system at 3841; of which 953 joined this year. 

We now have 267 partners on the system which splits into 142 charity/non-profit and 125 Socs/Clubs all using the platform to create opportunities or log hours. 

Volunteering at Surrey has a vast reach which can take students to Borneo or the Amazon to do conservation volunteering, to a local charity shop to help out The Red Cross, through to Stewarding at Festivals for Marie Curie, mentoring, buddy schemes for the elderly and able bodied and social media marketing volunteers. 

772 students volunteered directly for opportunities posted by us as a Union which included Freshers’ Angels, Course Reps, Welfare Watch, campus litter picks and the incredible 205 students who became Self-Isolation Buddies since lockdown began. 

## **COVID-19 Volunteering March to June** 

At the start of the first lockdown we partnered with Surrey County Council and Voluntary Action South West Surrey to provide 30+ students to support services and voluntary organisations across the county/regionally which ranged from helping at a walk-in centre for the homeless in a kitchen in Farnham, to the emergency response and support of Royal Surrey Hospital. 

One student even did 280hrs of volunteering assisting their local Citizens Advice Bureau in Southend, meanwhile one of our incoming Sabbs has done 114 hours for Guildford’s Citizen Advice Bureau. We created a cross department opportunity called ‘Self-Isolation Buddies’. Student volunteers ‘buddied up’ with students who were self-isolating. The ‘Buddies’ delivered shopping or offered any other help with errands etc. that the people in isolation needed. The success of this scheme and take up meant we had universities across the country contacting us to ask for advice about how we did it and how we have developed such an engaged student volunteering audience. 

## **Duke of Edinburgh Awards** 

The Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme is a world-renowned volunteer programme for young adults all the way up to 25yrs of age. We have been seeing a steady rise in participants since we started to slowly grow this aspect of our volunteering programme. This year we are proud to report that we have become the first Union/University to help one of our students become a DofE Ambassador. This student will now work with us to lead the DofE programme including leading expeditions with the participants in the award scheme. We are looking forward to helping our student ambassador continue to grow the DofE function here and enable more students to get involved with a peer-to-peer student-led approach. 

## **RAG** 

To ensure we are supporting local initiatives, the RAG Chair wrote a motion which was passed by the Union Executive, and from 2021/22, at least one of the two RAG charities we fundraise for will be a local charity. 

Here are some of their highlights from this year: 

Following the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, in August 2020, RAG fundraised over £1000 for the Lebanon Red Cross thanks to generous student donations. 

In November 2020 the RAG Chair and other Union officers supported Surrey Movember and helped raise an amazing £11,490.47 for the Movember charity. 

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## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

A successful RAG Week was held in May 2021 and despite COVID-19 restrictions, £1180 was raised. 

A special fundraising event ‘Sounds of Summer’ was organised in The Marquee by events management students and sponsored by Future Generations. 

## **Drug Education and Harm Reduction** 

In December, the VP Community wrote the ‘Student Drug Use Report 2020’, analysing survey results gathered by herself and the VP Activity in the months prior. Following this, the VP Community also wrote a new ‘Student Drug Use Policy’ for the Students’ Union which was passed by the Board of Trustees, starting a SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) group at Surrey. They have also worked with the University and external organisation, NeuroSight, on a harm reduction campaign. 

## **Zone Activity and Achievements** 

A Zone Committee Members have been active despite the restrictions and have achieved the following- 

They have created the monthly ‘Citizenship Award’ to celebrate students doing good for the community, such as volunteering and charity work. 

There is now an additional volunteering initiative for students - The Events Network which will expand on our existing work by further promoting the core components of our Zone (Raising and Giving; Volunteering; community engagement). Volunteers will organise and support student events. 

They voiced the concerns of students and initiated conversations with the University about an international guarantor scheme. 

## **Sustainability** 

A sustainability policy for the Union was passed and implemented this year. The VP Community organised the first ‘Sustainability Forum’ event, providing an opportunity for students and staff to directly share ideas, concerns or questions surrounding sustainability at Surrey with relevant staff members. 

A ‘Sustainability Week’ was also organised, with content including: a litter pick on campus; guest speakers; and Instagram live discussions with students and organisations. 

A Community Zone member, led on the Union’s ‘Sustainable Surrey’ campaign and organised engaging Instagram live events, contributed strongly to University meetings, and organised much of the sustainability week. Towards the end of the year, the VP Community and the Zone Member worked with the University to pilot a food waste app called Olio, in catering outlets on campus. 

The VP Community has also introduced a new role to club and society committees, the ‘Sustainability Rep’. This role will provide guidance to members on how to reduce our impact on the environment through society and club activity. 

A Christmas Tree decorating competition was also held called ‘SustainabiliTREE’ to encourage students to make a Christmas tree out of waste such as used bottles or cans. 

Page 20 



**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **Fundraising** 

The Union itself had no fundraising activities requiring disclosure under S162A of the Charities Act 2011. 

## **Future Plans** 

In the last three years, the Students’ Union and the environment in which it operates has seen a tremendous amount of change. A change of direction and democratic structure for the Union and new senior management in many positions at the University. USSU will continue with its core functions of representation and provision of student activities for the foreseeable future. 

The strategy agreed by members in February 2017 is now embedded within the Union structure and will be in place until the end of 2022. Further quantitative survey work will be undertaken to understand and measure member satisfaction. USSU will continue its association with almost all external bodies (BUCS, IIV, BII, etc.), unless a popular vote from members deems this unsatisfactory. 

## **Financial review** 

USSU has continued to benefit from the recognition and support of the University, and this year received an annual Block Grant of £1,217,650. 

Due to the impact of Covid, the decision was taken to Furlough full time staff when we could, to ensure that the Union could still operate its core activities over the year. Due to the usage of this scheme, the Union was able to benefit from Furlough payments equating to £280,126. 

The usual course of Union income is generated from Rubix nightclub; due to Covid impact this ceased to be generated. However, with the extra grant of £142,596 from the University for us to create student space in the marquee we have been able to give the 20/21 students a student experience. The Union has also received a £18,241 grant from Guildford county council and a Donation of £48,973. 

## **Reserves Policy** 

The Board of Trustees reviews the Student Unions’ Reserve Policy annually. This year due to Coronavirus, the reserves policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with specific regard to retained levels. The Board of Trustees have determined that the appropriate level of reserves should be £300,000 cash (which is approximately 3 months salaries), however this will face further ongoing review. The reason for this reserve is to provide enough working capital and to deal with unexpected emergencies. In future years capital maintenance and development projects may be considered in the reserves policy review, alongside the financial impact of Coronavirus. 

After deducting the carrying value of tangible fixed assets held for the Student Union’s own use there were free reserves as defined by the Charity Commission of £497,102 (2020: £467,832). 

The Students’ Union cash reserves as at 31 July 2020 were £586,496. The cash reserve as at the 31 July 2021 is £682,483 (an increase of £95,987). 

The key management personnel understand that the Students’ Union needs to maintain an appropriate level of reserves, in order to provide sufficient capital to cover delays which can occur between spending and receipt of income. 

## **Custodian Activities: Clubs’ & Societies’ Funds** 

USSU acts as custodian for funds raised by the students’ amounting to £171,105 at 31 July 2021. £232,738 paid in and £206,526 paid out of the clubs and societies own funds; made up of a total of 8151 transactions for the year. These funds are represented in the financial accounts system under separate Restricted Income Fund cost codes so Clubs’ & Societies balances are known at all times. 

In addition to the grant-support funds it disburses to them, as shown in the accounts, USSU is also custodian of the annual RAG proceeds from fundraising events organised by the students under USSU auspices for distribution to the intended charities. 

Page 21 



UNIVERsrrY OF SURREY STUDENTS, UNION
TRUSTEES. REPORT (CONTINUED)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2020
Fulure Funding
The Board of Trusiees are CUrren￿Y in ongoing ujnsuttation as lo evalueting strfkient funding for USSU to
meel all ils obligatK)ns.
Trustees, Responsibllitles
Charity law require us as the charity Trustees lo prepare annual financial statements giving a true and fair
view of the state of affatrs of the Students, Un￿n and of the suWLV6 or deficÈt for that year.
In p￿paring those financial statements are required to".-
select the most SLti1ab￿ &ts)unling policies and apply them consistently,.
make judgements 8nd estimates that a￿ reasonab￿ and prudent..
prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless il i% not appropTl8te to
presume that the Union wtll continue in busine5S-
State rf the trustees were not entitled lo take advantage of the small companies. eXempt￿)n
from the requirement to prepare 8 Strateg￿ rewrt.
The Tvuslees are responsible for keeping proper xcounting records whi¢h disclose with reasonable accuracy
at any lime the financial posÉbofi of the charity and enable LSS to ensuTe that the financial ststements comply
wlh charity law and the partieular requirements of Surrey Studenls, Union unoerthe Education Act 1994. The
Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the asset5 Of the chaiity and ensuring their Proper applicalKJn
in accordance wth charty law. and hence fortaking reasonable steps for the prevents'on an(1 detection of fraud
and other irregularitf'es.
Trustee On Béhalf of the Board- Ajisola P4imobi
Date. 27 1 10 121
Page 22


## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **Opinion** 

We have audited the financial statements of University of Surrey Students’ Union for the year ended 31 July 2021 which comprise the Group Statement of Financial Activities, the Group and Company Balance Sheets, the Group Cash Flow Statement and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

In our opinion the financial statements: 

- give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s and the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 July 2021 and of the group’s incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure for the year then ended; 

- have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and 

- have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. 

## **Basis for opinion** 

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the group and charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

## **Conclusions relating to going concern** 

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the group and the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. 

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report. 

Page 23 




## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION (CONTINUED)** 

## **Other information** 

The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. 

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

## **Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006** 

In our opinion based on the work undertaken in the course of our audit 

- the information given in the trustees’ report, which includes the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and 

- the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. 

## **Matters on which we are required to report by exception** 

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the group and charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report. 

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: 

- adequate and proper accounting records have not been kept; or 

- the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or 

- certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or 

- we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit 

## **Responsibilities of trustees** 

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement on page 22 the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

Page 24 




## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION (CONTINUED)** 

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the group’s or the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

## **Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements** 

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. 

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations are set out below. 

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report. 

## **Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud** 

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We identified and assessed the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements from irregularities, whether due to fraud or error, and discussed these between our audit team members. We then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. 

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks within which the group and the charitable company operates, focusing on those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011 together with the Charities SORP (FRS 102). We assessed the required compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our audit procedures on the related financial statement items. 

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which might be fundamental to the group or charitable company’s ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty. We also considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the group or charitable company for fraud. The laws and regulations we considered in this context were General Data Protecting Regulations, Health and Safety and Safeguarding of students. 

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any. 

Page 25 




## **INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION (CONTINUED)** 

We identified the greatest risk of material impact on the financial statements from irregularities, including fraud, to be within the timing of recognition of income and the override of controls by management. Our audit procedures to respond to these risks included enquiries of management, and the Trustee Committee about their own identification and assessment of the risks of irregularities, sample testing on the posting of journals and income, reviewing accounting estimates for biases, reviewing regulatory correspondence with the Charity Commission, and reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance. 

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations (irregularities) is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it. In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of irregularities, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations. 

## **Use of our report** 

This report is made solely to the charitable company’s members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company’s members and trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company, the charitable company’s members as a body and the charitable company’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed. 


Alastair Lyon 

Senior Statutory Auditor 

For and on behalf of 

**Crowe U.K. LLP** 

Statutory Auditor 

**Reading** 

**Dated :** 27 October 2021 

Page 26 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION STATEMENT OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR (Incorporating income and expenditure account) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

|Notes<br>**_Gross Income_**<br>**Donations:**<br>- Donations, University Grant, etc.<br>3<br>**Income from other trading activities**<br>- Activity<br>- Central<br>- Community<br>**Charitable activities for students:**<br>- Activity<br>- Central<br>- Community<br>**_Expenditure on:_**<br>**Charitable activities for students:**<br>- Activity<br>- Central<br>- Community<br>- Support<br>- Voice<br>4<br>**Net Movement in funds**<br>Fund balances brought forward<br>**Fund balances carried forward**<br>14|**Unrestricted**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Total**<br>_Total_<br>**Funds**<br>**Funds**<br>**2021**<br>_2020_<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>_£_<br>1,707,586<br>-<br>**1,707,586**<br>_1,353,846_<br>2,613<br>-<br>**2,613**<br>_19,262_<br>36,716<br>-<br>**36,716**<br>_28,885_<br>58,612<br>-<br>**58,612**<br>_129,725_<br>-<br>232,738<br>**232,738**<br>_670,938_<br>-<br>-<br>**-**<br>_45,712_<br>756,694<br>-<br>**756,694**<br>_824,714_|
|---|---|
||2,562,221<br>232,738<br>**2,794,959**<br>_3,073,082_|
||324,992<br>206,526<br>**531,518**<br>_1,087,755_<br>251,464<br>-<br>**251,464**<br>_372,078_<br>1,464,690<br>-<br>**1,464,690**<br>_1,068,272_<br>278,308<br>-<br>**278,308**<br>_279,327_<br>262,945<br>-<br>**262,945**<br>_255,104_|
||2,582,399<br>206,526<br>**2,788,925**<br>_3,062,536_|
||(20,178)<br>26,212<br>**6,034**<br>_10,546_<br>676,839<br>144,893<br>**821,732**<br>_811,186_<br>656,661<br>171,105<br>**827,766**<br>_821,732_|



The notes on pages 31 to 40 form part of these accounts. 

Page 27 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS' UNION** 

## **CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2021** 

|||**2021**||_2020_||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||£|£|£|£|
||**Notes**|||||
|**Fixed Assets**||||||
|Tangible fixed assets|7||**159,559**||_209,007_|
||||||_209,007_|
|**Current Assets**||||||
|Stocks|9|**56,893**||_33,916_||
|Debtors & prepayments|10|**189,782**||_192,876_||
|Cash at bank & in hand||**682,483**||_586,496_||
|||**929,158**||_813,288_||
|**Current Liabilities**||||||
|Creditors: Amounts due within one||||||
|year|11|**(260,951)**||_(200,563)_||
|**Net Current Assets**|||**668,207**||_612,725_|
|**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**|||**827,766**||_821,732_|
|**_Representing Charitable Funds:-_**||||||
|**Restricted Income Funds**||||||
|Students' Societies & Club Funds|12|**171,105**||_144,893_||
|**Unrestricted Income Funds**||||||
|Undesignated||**656,661**||_676,839_||
||||||_676,839_|
|**Total Funds**|14||**827,766**||_821,732_|



The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 27 October 2021 and signed on their behalf, by: 

President 

_��r_ Trustee: Ajisola Ajimobi 

The notes on pages 31 to 40 form part of these accounts. 

Page 28 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS' UNION** 

## **UNION BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 JULY 2021 REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 07470232** 

|**Notes**<br>**Fixed Assets**<br>Tangible fixed assets<br>7<br>Investments<br>8<br>**Current Assets**<br>Debtors**&**prepayments<br>10<br>Cash at bank**&**in hand<br>**Current Liabilities**<br>Creditors: Amounts due within one<br>year<br>11<br>**Net Current Assets**<br>**Total Assets less Current Liabilities**<br>**_Reprsenting Charitble Funds:-_**<br>**Restricted Income Funds**<br>Students' Societies**&**Club Funds<br>12<br>**Unrestricted Income Funds**<br>Free reseres (Undesignated)<br>**Total Funds**<br>14||**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**159,559**<br>**1**<br>**159,560**<br>**717,933**<br>**347,109**<br>**1,065,042**<br>**(188,490)**<br>**876,552**<br>**1,036,112**<br>**171,105**<br>**171,105**<br>**865,007**<br>**865,007**<br>**1,036,112**|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**159,559**<br>**1**<br>**159,560**<br>**717,933**<br>**347,109**<br>**1,065,042**<br>**(188,490)**<br>**876,552**<br>**1,036,112**<br>**171,105**<br>**171,105**<br>**865,007**<br>**865,007**<br>**1,036,112**||_2020_<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>_209,007_<br>_1_<br>_209,008_<br>_410,800_<br>_280,978_<br>_691,778_<br>_(188,015)_<br>_503,763_<br>_712,771_<br>_144,893_<br>_144,893_<br>_567,878_<br>_567,878_<br>_712,771_|_2020_<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>_209,007_<br>_1_<br>_209,008_<br>_410,800_<br>_280,978_<br>_691,778_<br>_(188,015)_<br>_503,763_<br>_712,771_<br>_144,893_<br>_144,893_<br>_567,878_<br>_567,878_<br>_712,771_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||**159,560**<br>**876,552**|||_209,008_<br>_503,763_|
|||**171,105**|||||
||||**1,036,112**<br>**171,105**<br>**865,007**<br>**1,036,112**|||_712,771_<br>_144,893_<br>_567,878_<br>_712,771_|
|||**865,007**|||_567,878_||
||||||||



The result for the financial year dealt with in the financial statements of the parent company was £323,341 _(2020: £199,771)._ 

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 27 October 2021 and signed on their behalf, by: 

President and Chair 

Trustee: Ajisola Ajimobi 


The notes on pages 31 to 40 form part of these accounts 

Page 29 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

|**Cash flows from operating activities:**<br>Net incoming resources<br>Depreciation<br>Interest paid<br>Interest received<br>(Increase) in stock<br>Decrease/ (Increase) in debtors<br>Increase/(Decrease) in creditors<br>**Net cash used in operating activities**<br>**Cash flows from investing activities**<br>Interest receivable<br>Interest payable<br>Purchase of tangible fixed assets<br>**Net cash used in investing activities**<br>Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year<br>**Net debt reconciliation of net cash flow to movement in**<br>**net debt**<br>Net funds at 1stAugust<br>(Decrease)/increase in cash in the year<br>**Net funds at 31st July**<br>**Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**<br>Cash in hand|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**6,034**<br>**49,448**<br>**7,813**<br>**(37)**<br>**(22,977)**<br>**3,094**<br>**60,388**<br>**103,763**<br>**37**<br>**(7,813)**<br>**-**<br>**(7,776)**<br>**£**<br>**95,987**<br>**586,496**<br>**95,987**<br>**£**<br>**682,483**<br>**£**<br>**682,483**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_10,546_<br>_80,882_<br>_6,378_<br>_(596)_<br>_(8,369)_<br>_(6,528)_<br>_(88,830)_<br>_(6,517)_<br>_596_<br>_(6,378)_<br>_(72,017)_<br>_(77,799))_|
|---|---|---|
|||_£_<br>_(84,316)_<br>_670,812_<br>_(84,316)_<br>_£_<br>_586,496_<br>_£_<br>_586,496_|



The notes on pages 31 to 40 form part of these accounts 

Page 30 



**UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **1 Accounting Policies** 

The University of Surrey Students’ union is an incorporated charity registered in the UK (Charity number 1142479. Company Number: 07470232) with its registered office at Union House, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH. 

The Principal activities are campaigning, representation, provision of social activities and the organisation of sporting and recreational activities and opportunities. 

## (a) **Accounting convention** 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with 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 January 2015) – (Charities SORP (FRS102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. 

The Union meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and Liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. 

Consolidated financial statements (‘group accounts”) have been prepared in respect of the charity and its wholly owned subsidiary, Origin Events Limited. The parent has taken exemption from presenting its unconsolidated profit and loss account under section 408 of the Companies Act 2006 and as permitted by FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. 

## (b) **Going concern** 

The charity has cash resources and is supported by the University of Surrey. Having reviewed budgets, forecasts and cash-flows, and taken into account Covid19, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. They continue to believe the going concern basis of accounting appropriate in preparing the annual financial statements. 

## (c) **Incoming resources** 

All income including grants and capital resources are recognised in the accounts when the Charity is legally entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable certainty, and on an accruals basis. 

During the year the Union received £280k (2020: £126K) from the UK Government under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. 

## (d) **Resources expended** 

Expenditure is accrued as soon as a liability is considered probable, discounted to present value for longer term liabilities. Expenditure includes irrecoverable VAT. Charitable expenditure comprises the direct and indirect costs of delivering public benefit. Other central overhead costs are apportioned to charitable and other projects/activities on a usage basis, pro rata to the amount of staff hours attributable to each project or activity undertaken. 

Page 31 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **1 Accounting Policies (continued)** 

## (e) **Tangible fixed assets** 

Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Equipment, fixtures and fittings are included at cost. Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write the cost of assets off over their estimated useful lives. 

|Fixtures and Fittings|-|10%|per annum straight line|
|---|---|---|---|
|Equipment|-|10-33%|per annum straight line|
|Computer Hardware|-|20-50%|per annum straight line|
|Computer Software|-|20-33%|per annum straight line|



(f) **Cash and cash equivalents** Cash at bank and cash equivalents includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of 3 months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account. 

- (g) **Pension costs** The Union now operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the company to the fund in respect of the year. Differences between contributions payable in the year and paid are shown as accruals or prepayments in the balance sheet. 

- (h) **Leased assets** 

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged as expenditure on a straight line basis over the period of the lease 

- (i) **Stock** 

Stock is valued at the lower of the cost and its net realisable value. 

## (j) **Fund accounting** 

   - (i) **Unrestricted Funds** representing unspent income which may be used for any activity/purpose at the Executive Committee’s own discretion; 

   - (ii) **Capital Grant Funds** are released annually in line with the depreciation policy on the capital spend. 

   - (iii) **Restricted funds** raised and administered by USSU for specific purposes, such as Club and Societies Accounts, as well as revenue received for purposes specified by the donor. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. 

- (k) **Taxation** The Union meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the Union is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by part 11, chapter 3 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes. 

(l) **Financial instruments** Basic financial instruments include debtors and creditors. Debtors and creditors are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at amortised cost. Note 15 provides more information on financial instruments where future cash flows are anticipated, with financial assets referring to trade debtors, amount owed by group undertakings, other debtors and cash equivalents, and financial liabilities referring to all creditor balances excluding deferred income and payments on account. 

Page 32 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **2. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING JUDGEMENTS AND KEY SOURCES OF ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY** 

Preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements and estimates. The directors consider that there are no material judgements in applying accounting policies or key sources of estimation uncertainty. 

## **3 Grants Receivable and donations** 

|**rants Receivable and donations**|||
|---|---|---|
|University Block Grant (Subvention)<br>CJRS Grant<br>Additional University Grant<br>Local Council Grants<br>Donations<br>**Total**|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**1,217,650**<br>**280,126**<br>**142,596**<br>**18,241**<br>**48,973**<br>**1,707,586**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_1,228,217_<br>_125,629_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_-_|
|||_1,353,846_|



## **4a) Charitable and other Activity costs- 2021** 

|**Charitable activities**<br>Activity<br>Central<br>Community<br>Support<br>Voice<br>**Total costs**|**Cost of**<br>**sales**<br>**£**<br>-<br>-<br>325,376<br>-<br>-<br>325,376|**Staff costs**<br>**£**<br>197,781<br>158,035<br>476,538<br>226,200<br>212,770<br>1,271,324|**Rent**<br>**£**<br>20,004<br>10,509<br>40,000<br>20,004<br>20,004<br>110,521|**Other**<br>**costs**<br>**£**<br>313,733<br>82,920<br>622,776<br>32,104<br>30,171<br>1,081,704|**Total**<br>**£**<br>**531,518**<br>**251,464**<br>**1,464,690**<br>**278,308**<br>**262,945**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||**2,788,925**|



Included in the above costs is the annual audit fee of £15,875 _(2020: £15,275)._ 

Affiliation fees included in the above amounts to £nil (2020: £nil) 

_2020 Comparative information- Charitable and other Activity costs_ 

|_Charitable activities_<br>_Activity_<br>_Central_<br>_Community_<br>_Support_<br>_Voice_<br>_Total costs_|_Cost of sales_<br>_£_<br>_-_<br>_38,294_<br>_295,026_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_333,320_|_Staff costs_<br>_£_<br>_189,939_<br>_247,327_<br>_376,480_<br>_211,599_<br>_179,791_<br>_1,205,136_|_Rent_<br>_£_<br>_24,000_<br>_(1,471)_<br>_40,000_<br>_24,000_<br>_24,000_<br>_110,529_|_Other costs_<br>_£_<br>_873,816_<br>_87,928_<br>_356,766_<br>_43,728_<br>_51,313_<br>_1,413,551_|_Total_<br>_£_<br>_1,087,755_<br>_372,078_<br>_1,068,272_<br>_279,327_<br>_255,104_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||_3,062,536_|



_Included in the above costs is the annual audit fee of £15,275 (2020: £14,835)._ Affiliation fees included in the above amounts to £nil _(2020: £nil)_ . 

Page 33 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **4b) Central Overhead Costs included in Note 4a** 

All central overhead costs have been apportioned on a usage basis, pro rata to the total costs of each project or activity undertaken as per the below breakdown. 

Overheads used evenly by all zones represent the following cost: 

## **5** 

|**2021**<br>**Charitable activities**<br>Central<br>Voice<br>Activity<br>Support<br>Community<br>**Total costs**<br>_2020 Comparative information_<br>_Charitable activities_<br>_Central_<br>_Voice_<br>_Activity_<br>_Support_<br>_Community_<br>_Total costs_<br>**Staff Costs**<br>Wages and salaries<br>Social security<br>Pension costs|**Usage**<br>20%<br>20%<br>20%<br>20%<br>20%<br>100%<br>_Usage_<br>_20%_<br>_20%_<br>_20%_<br>_20%_<br>_20%_<br>_100%_|**Staff**<br>**£**<br>57,028<br>57,028<br>57,028<br>57,028<br>57,028<br>285,140<br>_Staff_<br>_£_<br>_70,125_<br>_70,125_<br>_70,125_<br>_70,125_<br>_70,125_<br>_350,625_|**Other**<br>**£**<br>15,226<br>15,226<br>15,226<br>15,226<br>15,226<br>76,130<br>_Other_<br>_£_<br>_16,739_<br>_16,739_<br>_16,739_<br>_16,739_<br>_16,739_<br>_83,695_<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**1,120,748**<br>**89,169**<br>**61,407**<br>**1,271,324**|**Total**<br>**£**<br>**72,254**<br>**72,254**<br>**72,254**<br>**72,254**<br>**72,254**<br>**361,270**<br>_Total_<br>_£_<br>_86,864_<br>_86,864_<br>_86,864_<br>_86,864_<br>_86,864_<br>_434,320_<br>_2020_<br>_£_<br>_1,073,380_<br>_72,790_<br>_58,966_<br>_1,205,136_|
|---|---|---|---|---|



One ( _2020: one_ ) employee earned between £60,000 - £70,000 per annum. Defined contribution pension scheme costs for this employee amounted to £7,442 for the year to 31 July 2021 _(2020: £11,904)._ 

The key management personnel of the Union compromise the Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer, the Deputy CEO and the Human Resources and Staff Development manager. The aggregate employee benefits of key management personnel was £326,521 _(2020: £332,701)._ 

The average staffing was as follows:- 

|Full time<br>Students – term time only|**27**<br>**143**<br>**170**|_27_<br>_79_<br>_105_|
|---|---|---|



Redundancy payments of £19,099 _(2020: £nil)_ were made during the year. 

Page 34 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **6 Trustees’ Remuneration and Expenses** 

Trustees received total remuneration of £109,874 _(2020: £105,386)_ .  This related to the 5 Sabbatical Officers as noted on page 1. Reimbursed expenses to Trustees totalled £nil _(2020: £nil.)_ 

## **7 Tangible Fixed Assets – Group and Union** 

|||**Fixtures &**<br>**fittings**|**Equipment**|**Computer**<br>**Hardware**|**Computer**<br>**Software**||**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**||**£**|
||**COST**|||||||
||At 1 August 2020|859,950|115,881|135,307|91,804||1,202,942|
||Additions|-|-|-|-||-|
||At 31 July 2021|**859,950**|**115,881**|**135,307**|**91,804**||**1,202,942**|
||**DEPRECIATION**|||||||
||At 1 August 2020|769,257|24,566|115,496|84,616||993,935|
||Charge for the year|19,635|16,520|6,744|6,549||49,448|
||At 31 July 2021|**788,892**|**41,086**|**122,240**|**91,165**||**1,043,383**|
||**NET BOOK VALUE**|||||||
||At 31 July 2021|**71,058**|**74,795**|**13,067**|**639**||**159,559**|
||_At 1 August 2020_|_66,087_|_91,315_|_44,417_|_7,188_||_209,007_|
|**8**|**Investments**|||||||
||||||**Group**||**Union**|
||||||**£**||**£**|
||**COST:**|||||||
||1 August 2020|||||-|1|
||Disposals|||||-|-|
||At 31 July 2021|||||-|1|
||During the year the Union held investments in the|||following companies which are|||incorporated in|
||the United Kingdom.|||||||
||**Name of Company**||**Main Trading Activity**||**Equity Held**|||
||Origin Events Limited||Bar and shop trading||100.00%|||



Origin Events Limited (Registered number) 5048518 a fully owned subsidiary has net liabilities as at 31 July 2021 of (£208,342) _(2020: net assets £108,962)_ . Income of £997,678 _(2020: £978,440)_ and Expenditure of £1,206,021 _(2020: 869,479)_ and a (loss)/profit of (£208,343) _(2020: £108,961)._ 

Page 35 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **9 Stock** 

|Finished Goods<br>**ebtors**<br>Trade debtors<br>Amounts owed by group<br>undertakings<br>Other debtors<br>Prepayments and accrued<br>income|**2021**<br>**Group**<br>**Union**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**56,893**<br>**-**<br>**2021**<br>**Group**<br>**Union**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**66,520**<br>**49,222**<br>**-**<br>**581,617**<br>**39,828**<br>**3,660**<br>**83,434**<br>**83,434**<br>**189,782**<br>**717,933**|_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_33,916_<br>_-_<br>_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_55,252_<br>_17,331_<br>_-_<br>_256,870_<br>_64_<br>_64_<br>_137,560_<br>_136,535_<br>_192,876_<br>_410,800_|_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_33,916_<br>_-_<br>_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_55,252_<br>_17,331_<br>_-_<br>_256,870_<br>_64_<br>_64_<br>_137,560_<br>_136,535_<br>_192,876_<br>_410,800_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_410,800_|



## **10 Debtors** 

## **11 Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year** 

|Trade creditors<br>Social security & other taxes<br>Other creditors<br>Accruals|**2021**<br>**Group**<br>**Union**<br>**£**<br>**£**<br>**170,687**<br>**106,186**<br>**33,988**<br>**33,988**<br>**5,064**<br>**5,064**<br>**51,212**<br>**43,252**<br>**260,951**<br>**188,490**|_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_110,702_<br>_106,917_<br>_19,370_<br>_19,370_<br>_2,877_<br>_2,877_<br>_67,614_<br>_58,851_<br>_200,563_<br>_188,015_|_2020_<br>_Group_<br>_Union_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_110,702_<br>_106,917_<br>_19,370_<br>_19,370_<br>_2,877_<br>_2,877_<br>_67,614_<br>_58,851_<br>_200,563_<br>_188,015_|
|---|---|---|---|
||||_188,015_|



## **12 Restricted Funds held for Student Societies & Clubs – Group and Union** 

## **£** 

|Funds held at 1 August 2020<br>Income<br>Expenditure<br>**Funds held at 31 July 2021**||**144,893**<br>**232,738**<br>**(206,526)**|
|---|---|---|
|||**171,105**|



Restricted funds represent amounts raised by the Student Societies and Clubs of the Union for their own use. 

Page 36 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **13 Capital Grant Fund – Group and Union** 

|**apital Grant Fund – Group and Union**|||
|---|---|---|
|Funds held at 1 August 2020<br>Transfers to unrestricted funds<br>Funds held at 31 July 2021|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**-**<br>**-**<br>**-**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_3,000_<br>_(3,000)_|
|||_-_|



This Fund represents capital grant funds received from the University. It is amortised to unrestricted funds over the life of the assets in line with the Unions’ depreciation policy on the assets. 

## **14 Analysis of Net Assets between Funds 2021** 

|**Group**<br>Fixed assets<br>Net current assets<br>**Union**<br>Fixed assets<br>Net current assets||**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>159,559<br>497,102<br>**656,661**<br>**Unrestricted**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>159,560<br>705,447<br>**865,007**|**Restricted**<br>**Income**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>171,105<br>**171,105**<br>**Restricted**<br>**Income**<br>**Funds**<br>**£**<br>-<br>171,105<br>**171,105**|**Total**<br>**£**<br>**159,559**<br>**668,207**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**827,766**|
|||||**Total**<br>**£**<br>**159,560**<br>**876,552**|
|||||**1,036,112**|



_Prior Year Comparative Analysis of Net Assets between Funds 2020_ 

|_Group_<br>_Fixed assets_<br>_Net current assets_<br>_Union_<br>_Fixed assets_<br>_Net current assets_||_Unrestricted_<br>_Funds_<br>_£_<br>_209,007_<br>_467,832_<br>_676,839_<br>_Unrestricted_<br>_Funds_<br>_£_<br>_209,008_<br>_358,870_<br>_567,878_|_Restricted_<br>_Income_<br>_Funds_<br>_£_<br>_-_<br>_144,893_<br>_144,893_<br>_Restricted_<br>_Income_<br>_Funds_<br>_£_<br>_-_<br>_144,893_<br>_144,893_|_Total_<br>_£_<br>_209,007_<br>_612,725_<br>_821,732_<br>_Total_<br>_£_<br>_209,008_<br>_503,763_<br>_712,771_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||
||||||
|||||Page 37|





## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

|**15**<br>**Financial Instruments**<br>**Group**<br>Financial assets measured at amortised cost<br>Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**803,836**<br>**(226,963)**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_691,812_<br>_(181,193)_|
|---|---|---|



The group’s income, expense, gains and losses in respect of financial instruments are summarised below: 

|**Interest income and expense:**<br>Total interest income for financial assets held at amortised costs<br>Total interest expense for financial liabilities held at<br>amortised cost<br>**Charity**<br>Financial assets measured at amortised cost<br>Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**37**<br>**(7,813)**<br>**2021**<br>**£**<br>**996,613**<br>**(154,502)**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_596_<br>_(6,378)_<br>_2020_<br>_£_<br>_605,243_<br>_(168,645)_|
|---|---|---|



The charity’s income, expense, gains and losses in respect of financial instruments are summarised below: 

|**Interest income and expense:**<br>Total interest income for financial assets held at amortised costs<br>Total interest expense for financial liabilities held at amortised<br>cost|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**37**<br>**(7,813)**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_596_<br>_(6,378)_|
|---|---|---|



Financial instruments held at amortised cost are trade debtors, intercompany, other debtors, cash at bank, trade creditors, accruals and other creditors. They exclude prepayments and other taxes and social security. 

Page 38 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **16 Leasing Commitments – Group and Union** 

At 31 July 2021 the Union had annual commitments under non-cancellable operating leases as detailed below: 

|**Plant and machinery**<br>Operating leases expiring within one year<br>Operating leases expiring within one to two years<br>Operating leases expiring within two to five years<br>Operating leases expiring greater than five years|**2021**<br>**£**<br>**109,438**<br>**100,000**<br>**147,222**<br>**-**|_2020_<br>_£_<br>_154,599_<br>_122,810_<br>_248,611_<br>_-_|
|---|---|---|



## **17 Control Relationship** 

Ultimate control of the University of Surrey Students’ Union rests with its membership, represented by the Union Trustee board. 

## **18 Related Parties** 

The Union is in receipt of a recurrent grant from the University of Surrey of £1,217,650 _(2020: £1,228,217)_ and, a one off additional grant this year of £142,596 _(2020: £nil)_ . The year end net balance owed to University was (£35,374) _(2020: £4,503 owed from)_ . The sabbatical members of the executive committee receive remuneration for their services as provided for within the Constitution. The aggregate amount payable under such contracts in the year was £109,874 _(2020: £105,386)_ . 

Origin Events Limited is considered to be a related party of the Union as it is a wholly owned subsidiary. The company made a payment under gift aid to the Union of £108,961 during the year _(2020: £298,115)._ A recharge of £60,000 _(2020: £60,000)_ to Origin Events Limited for use of fixed assets is included within these figures. The intercompany balance due from the company to the Union at the year-end was £581,617 ( _2020: £256,870)._ The year end net balance owed from the University was £9,313. 

## **19** 

## **Pension Costs** 

In 2011 the Union moved from a defined benefit to a defined contribution retirements benefit scheme. As part of the arrangement, the liability for deficits relating to past service of TUPE employees remained with the University. The Union pays contributions for TUPE employees at a rate of 16% of pensionable salary for former members of USS and 16.4% for former members of LGPS. The pension contribution rate for staff commencing employment after 1st August 2011 is 4% and the rate for those on the auto enrolment scheme is 3%. The total pension cost for the year was £61,407 _(2020: £58,966)_ . 

Page 39 



## **UNIVERSITY OF SURREY STUDENTS’ UNION** 

## **NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2021** 

## **20 Prior year comparatives** 

|_Gross Income_<br>_Donations:_<br>_- Donations, University Grant, etc._<br>_Income from other trading activities_<br>_- Activity_<br>_- Central_<br>_- Community_<br>_Charitable activities for students:_<br>_- Activity_<br>_- Central_<br>_- Community_<br>_Expenditure on:_<br>_Charitable activities for students:_<br>_- Activity_<br>_- Central_<br>_- Community_<br>_- Support_<br>_- Voice_<br>_Net income_<br>_Transfer between funds_<br>_Net Movement in funds_<br>_Fund balances brought forward_<br>_Fund balances carried forward_|_Unrestricted_<br>_Restricted_<br>_Capital_<br>_Total_<br>_Funds_<br>_Funds_<br>_Grants_<br>_2020_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_£_<br>_1,353,846_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_1,353,846_<br>_19,262_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_19,262_<br>_28,885_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_28,885_<br>_129,725_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_129,725_<br>_3,156_<br>_667,782_<br>_-_<br>_670,938_<br>_45,712_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_45,712_<br>_824,714_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_824,714_|
|---|---|
||_2,405,300_<br>_667,782_<br>_-_<br>_3,073,082_|
||_427,028_<br>_660,727_<br>_-_<br>_1,807,755_<br>_372,078_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_372,078_<br>_1,068,272_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_1,068,272_<br>_279,327_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_279,327_<br>_255,104_<br>_-_<br>_-_<br>_255,104_|
||_2,401,809_<br>_660,727_<br>_-_<br>_3,062,536_|
||_3,491_<br>_7,055_<br>_-_<br>_10,546_<br>_3,000_<br>_-_<br>_(3,000)_<br>_-_<br>_6,491_<br>_7,055_<br>_(3,000)_<br>_10,546_<br>_670,348_<br>_137,838_<br>_3,000_<br>_811,186_<br>_676,839_<br>_144,893_<br>_-_<br>_821,732_|



Page 40 

