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← Schools Out United Kingdom

2024-12-31-accounts

Annual Report 2024 - Schools OUT United Kingdom - 1156352

The Trustees of Schools OUT United Kingdom (hereinafter “SOUK”), present their annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024.

1. AIMS

Schools OUT UK (SOUK) operates under a constitution dated 18 September 2013 (the “Constitution”). The objects of SOUK are to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public by:

(A) increasing the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT+”) people, their history, lives and their experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community;

(B) raising awareness and advancing education on matters affecting the LGBT+ community;

(C) working to make educational and other institutions safe spaces for all LGBT+ communities;

and

(D) promoting the welfare of LGBT+ people, by ensuring that the education system recognises and enables LGBT+ people to achieve their full potential, so they contribute fully to society and lead fulfilled lives, thus benefiting society as a whole.

SOUK aims to achieve these objects by organising an annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans + (or “LGBT+”) History Month each February, to be celebrated in schools, other educational establishments, workplaces, and other organisations in the United Kingdom.

Each UK LGBT+ History Month is launched at a formal event in the November preceding it. Linked to UK LGBT+ History Month, SOUK aims to coordinate and share knowledge of events planned throughout the country in connection with LGBT+ History Month and provide resources to augment the theme of LGBT+ History Month.

More broadly, to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues and to increase the visibility of LGBT+ people in the classroom, SOUK aims to provide a number of inclusive teaching resources for use in classrooms around the country, via a website.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Schools OUT United Kingdom is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registration no.1156352). The principal address of SOUK is BM Schools OUT, London, WC1N 3XX

SOUK receives pro bono legal assistance from Allen & Overy LLP, One Bishops Square, London, E1 6AD for which the Trustees and Management Committee are truly thankful. None of the Trustees is a body corporate.

The Trustees are:

3. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

SOUK became a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 25 March 2014. This report covers the period 1st January 2024 to 31[st] December 2024. The Trustees (who are also the Members under the Constitution) were appointed under the terms of the Constitution, which is based on the Foundation Model Constitution published by the Charities Commission.

The Trustees are responsible for the management of the affairs of SOUK and for that purpose exercise all the powers of SOUK. The Management Committee of members was appointed by the Trustees to exercise the day-to-day management tasks of SOUK. In particular, under the supervision of the Trustees, the Management Committee has been delegated the tasks of:

(A) managing the day-to-day business of SOUK;

(B) meeting at least quarterly to discuss the business of the Management Committee and SOUK;

(C) preparing meeting minutes for all meetings of the Management Committee ;

(D) organising a themed UK LGBT+ History Month to take place in schools, educational establishments or other organisations in February of each year;

(E) organising a launch event in advance of each UK LGBT+ History Month;

(F) managing the budget of SOUK;

(G) embarking on fundraising initiatives to benefit SOUK;

(H) managing the SOUK websites content.

(I) preparing the annual statement of accounts;

(K) maintaining and managing our profile on social media ;

(L) preparing and filing reports required by the Charity Commission (such reports being approved by the Trustees before filing);

(M) entering into contracts for the purpose of carrying out the tasks and functions delegated to the Management Committee; and

(N) delegating any of its powers, as it deems appropriate, subject to these terms and conditions.

The Management Committee

Comprises [9] volunteers who provide their time, support, skills and energy to SOUK. None of the Management Committee are paid for their time.

For 2024, the Management Committee members were:

In addition, as required, Education consultant, IT support consultant and Media consultants may attend the Management Committee meetings.

4. REPORT ON THE YEAR 2024

In 2024 SOUK has achieved its Objects via its activities with the UK LGBT+ History Month 2024, workshops, the launch of the UK LGBT+ History Month theme 2025 and work on our educational resources.

In conducting these activities, the Trustees, and indeed the Management Committee, have had regard to the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit. The Trustees strongly believe that raising awareness and educating the public on both LGBT+ community and the matters that affect LGBT+ people will not only increase visibility and promote the welfare of LGBT+ people, but also benefit the wider community by promoting inclusivity, diversity and acceptance.

There are other specific groups of non-LGBT+ people who directly benefit from the activities of SOUK. They include many non-LGBT+ people who are the children of LGBT+ parents or who have family members who are LGBT+, and who are either bullied for this reason or are afraid to discuss their family situation. There are other non-LGBT+ people who are friends with LGBT+ people and are also bullied. The work of SOUK therefore directly affects those who know and live with LGBT+ people, and those who know and live with these people. The work of SOUK in education institutions, therefore, goes much further than solely benefiting the LGBT+ people, and is not limited to those with a protected characteristic.

In the Annual Report 2023 we identified certain areas of our work that would be our focus in 2024: We have made progress in all these areas:

• further extending the range of diversities and skills of both the Management Committee and Trustees by seeking out new members;

• ensuring stability and growth within the Management Committee;

• continuing to ensure a constant stream of income from fundraising activities, grants and sponsorship so that its Objects can be fulfilled;

• continuing to ensure that the Classroom resources are updated to cater for changes to the curriculum and developments in technology;

• increasing our reach with educators;

• increasing the reach of UK LGBT+ History Month in schools, colleges, universities, other educational institutions and settings and in the wider community

Operational matters

To help facilitate our planning we held an away day, Queer Britain, at which we reviewed aims.

We planned how our activities for the year ahead would meet our aims and deliver our charitable purpose. With our 2024 being our 50th anniversary, and 20 years since UK LGBT+ History Month, we planned how we mark this. In 2023 we moved to using the UK LGBT+ History Month theme from the launch of the theme in November through to the following October. We reviewed the impact of extending the duration we used the UK LGBT+ History Month theme and agreed to continue with this approach going forwards.

We welcomed Dr Stephen Hornby as our playwright in resident onto the management committee whom we have worked with over many years.

In 2024 the eastern NEU office dedicated an office in Newmarket to our late former CEO Tony Fenwick.

Education

We strengthened our links to educators and education organisations through meeting with the following organisations to share our work; Just Like Us, The Proud Trust, Diversity Role Models, Pop’ n’ Olly, Diverse Educators, Pride and Progress and Pride in Education.

We had a further increase in numbers of schools and youth groups participate in the 2025 UK LGBT+ History Month badge design competition.

For UK Black Pride our education project worker, Sarah Cosgriff , built on last year’s display of LGBT+ history from around the world, creating a new display in keeping with the 2024 UK LGBT+ History Month theme ‘Under The Scope’ featuring global majority LGBT+ people working in the medicine and healthcare.

UK LGBT+ History Month 2024 - #UnderTheScope

We delivered online sessions for schools, youth groups, businesses and services across the UK during UK LGBT+ History Month. We provided video clips about each of the LGBT+ Historical figures. In addition, we produce early years and primary resources. UK LGBT+ History Month was again recognised in Westminster with a debate in parliament.

UK LGBT+ History Month 2025 – Activism and Social Change

From BC to AD LGBT+ people have existed. Over the past 20 years, since the first UK LGBT+ History Month in 2005, we have highlighted the incredible things LGBT+ people in all our diversity have achieved throughout history in all areas of life.

Over the past 50 years Schools OUT have worked to #educateOUTprejudice and ‘usualise’ LGBT+ lives, creating learning environments where all LGBT+ people feel safe, seen, and supported; which is why we founded UK LGBT+ History Month following the repeal of Section 28 to be a dedicated space to celebrate our rich and diverse history, herstory, theirstory. In 2025 it is even more important that we:

Activism and Social Change

Throughout history LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone using many different approaches to activism:

In November we were delighted to launch the UK LGBT+ History Month 2025 theme from Conway Hall; a venue which is steeped in history from the conference of doctors that led to the founding of the NHS, to speakers such as George Orwell; and so fitting for the 2025 UK LGBT+ History Month theme.

We held the launch online and in person with over 300 participants logging on from across the country and 80 people in person.

Each year we choose five LGBT+ historical figures in line with the theme to highlight. This year we have chosen five LGBT+ people who have created social change from across the centuries in progressing change for women, the environment, housing, nuclear disarmament, preserving heritage, abolition of the slave trade, and immigration, among many other causes.

The 2025 LGBT+ Historical Figures are: Octavia Hill, Ivor Cummings, Annie Kenney, Charlie Kiss, and Olaudah Equiano. Thank you to our guest speakers Cynthia Fortage, Jason Jones, Nathaniel Coleman, Jane Traies and Laila El-Metoui.

For this theme launch we were able to fully integrate our branding.

The official 2025 UK LGBT+ History Month badge was designed by Emily, a 12-year-old pupil from St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy in Sunderland who was the winner of our Schools badge competition, and it is proving to be our most successful badge yet.

Festival of Education

The Festival of Education is dedicated to inspiring and empowering educators from all sectors. Our mission is to provide an inclusive platform for sharing innovative ideas, fostering meaningful discussions, and promoting professional growth in a vibrant, relaxed atmosphere.

It aims to cultivate a community where diverse perspectives are valued, and challenging debates are conducted with respect and professionalism. By bringing together passionate individuals dedicated to enhancing education, it strives to shape the future of learning and teaching.

Over 4000 educators attend. Schools OUT was delighted to be invited to give a keynote session at the event, Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders gave the keynote being interviewed by David Braniff-Herbert, LGBT+ Educators’ National Organiser, NEU.

David Church and Sarah Cosgriff ran sessions on the Pride in Education stage and we shared a stall with the NEU. It was a wonderful opportunity to speak to so many educators.

NEU LGBT+ Educators conference

We ran a workshop at the conference which took place in UK LGBT+ History Month, ran a stall and took part in the Pride in Progress Podcast. At the conference Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders, our CEO, was awarded the lifetime achievement award.

2024 EducateOUT Webinars

We ran a dedicated session looking at inclusion in Primary School settings.

We were joined by Kate from Diversity Role Models who talked about the programmes they offer to primary schools. Olly and Jack joined us from Pop'n'Olly to talk about their inclusive book range; including reading from their new book 'Have you ever seen a Normal' and finally Lynne Nicholls, our Chair, talked about other inclusive books for primary school settings.

OUTreach

We have continued to help build the International Committee on LGBTQ+ History Months with several more countries starting a LGBT+ History Month. 2024 saw the launch of Trans History Week and we fully supported their work.

We attended the following prides: Disability Pride, Student Pride, Margate Pride, London Pride, Trans Pride London, UK Black Pride and Bi Pride UK.

2024 OUTreach Webinars

For East and South East Asian Heritage Month we held an online webinar celebrating the work of LGBT+ East and South East Asian (ESEA) people who are in medicine and healthcare.

Our incredible speakers talked about their work in medicine and healthcare, sharing their experiences and discussed how to actively include LGBT+ ESEA people working in medicine and healthcare environments.

The event celebrated East and South East Asian Heritage Month and is in line with the theme for UK LGBT+ History Month, “#UnderTheScope”, which highlights LGBT+ people who have worked or currently work within medicine and healthcare. And it is part of Schools OUT 2024-2025 OUTreach series to 'visibilise' LGBT+ people in all our diversity and share LGBT+ History.

Our guest speakers were:

Awards

Kate Hutchinson, Trustee of Schools OUT won the Trans In The City Awards 2024: Trans Community Champion – Wales

We are delighted to say that Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders won a British LGBT+ Award for her outstanding contribution to LGBT+ life in the UK. She attended the awards with her partner Jeanne Nadeau, who has been a longstanding volunteer at Schools OUT.

5. FUNDRAISING AND SUPPORT

The Trustees are grateful to the individuals and private corporations who have shown their support via booking workshops, donating, and buying badges and lanyards over the past year. Their generous and ongoing support has been tremendously helpful in enabling SOUK to achieve its Objects of promoting equality and diversity for the benefit of the public.

Finally, all work considered by the Management Committee, undertaken and presented to the general public is performed by volunteers. The Trustees are truly grateful to them for their unending enthusiasm, continuing to selflessly donate their time and talent, in addition to their unwavering commitment to the objectives of SOUK.

Challenges for the future include:

• measuring the effectiveness of SOUK’s activities against its Objects;

• succession planning;

• further extending the range of diversities and skills of both the Management Committee and Trustees by seeking out new members;

• ensuring stability and growth within the Management Committee;

• continuing to ensure a constant stream of income from fundraising activities, grants and sponsorship so that its Objects can be fulfilled;

• continuing to ensure that the Classroom resources are updated to cater for changes to the curriculum and developments in technology;

• increasing our reach with educators;

6. ACCOUNTS

A copy of the accounts is included in this Annual Report. Accounts were prepared for the period 1[st] January 2024 to 31st December 2024, the end of the financial year. Please see Appendix CC16a for further details.

In 2024 our income was £20,652.10, which came roughly half from merchandise sales and the rest from our fundraising efforts. We also received a donation from the partner of Roise Adams Clark, following Rosie’s passing. We had worked with Roise as part of our work highlighting LGBT+ people working behind the lens. We are so grateful for this generous donation.

In 2024 our expenditure was £21,905.32 a decrease from 2023 reflecting the decision to streamline costs and be more considered in our approach.

7. RISKS

The Charity Commission recommends that DBS (formerly CRB) checks should be obtained for trustees of charities which work with children or vulnerable adults. It is possible, although unlikely, that the work of the Trustees and/or the Management Committee could bring them into contact with children or vulnerable adults. However, the position of trustee of a children’s or vulnerable adults’ charity is not a regulated activity in itself. It is only if trustees have close and unsupervised contact with beneficiaries that they would fall within the scope of regulated activity and be eligible to obtain an enhanced DBS (CRB) check and barred list check.

SOUK is not a children’s or vulnerable adults’ charity and the Trustees, in their capacities as trustees of SOUK, and the Management Committee, in their capacities as members of the management committee of SOUK, do not have close and unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults. However, we have continued to roll out enhanced DBS (CRB) and barred list checks of the Trustees and the Management Committee.

Lynne Nicholls Chair of Trustees October 2025

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Schools OUT UK 1156352
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01/01/2024 31/12/2024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Donations 3,000 - - 3,000 678
Merchandise (Badge Sales) 10,965 - - 10,965 4,794
Conferences - - - - -
Fees from Charitable work (Workshops) 3,301 - - 3,301 6,014
Fundraising 3,296 - - 3,296 7,467
Other Charitable activities - - - - -
Interest £89.14 - - 89 75
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
- - 20,652 19,027
AR) [ 20,652 ]
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 20,652 - - 20,652 19,027
A3 Payments
Events 5,345 - - 5,345 1,877
Insurance 255 - - 255 359
Subsciptions & Licences 2,267 - - 2,267 2,957
Postage 755 - - 755 174
Fundraising - - - - -
Other charitable activities 8,247 - - 8,247 9,182
Merchandise 2,695 - - 2,695 7,102
IT Support 1,133 - - 1,133 916
Printing - - - - 29
Training/Transport 1,209 - - 1,209 534
Sub total [ 21,905 ] - - 21,905 23,130
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - - -
Total payments 21,905 - - 21,905 23,130
Net of receipts/(payments) - 1,253 - - - 1,253 - 4,103
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 11,777 - - 11,777 24,379
Cash funds this year end 10,524 - - 10,524 20,276
----- End of picture text -----

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
B1 Cash funds		 Details Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
-		 Restricted
funds
to nearest £
-		 Endowment funds
to nearest £
-
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
B3 Investment assets
B2 Other monetary assets		 Signature
Max Hyde
Professor Ian Rivers
Details
Details
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))		 -
-
-
-
-
-
Agreement Error
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
Max Hyde
Professor Ian Rivers		 -
-
-
OK
Endowment funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due (optional)
Date of approval
28th October 2025
28th October 2025