2022-03-31-accounts - Friends Of The British Overseas Territories

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Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT)

Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements

1 April 2021

31 March 2022

Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered Number 1156763

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	CONTENTS
Charity information		2
Trustees’ report		3-6
Independent examiner’s report		7
Statement of receipts and payments		8
Statement of assets and liabilities		9
Notes to the financial statements		10

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CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees	Andrew M Fox (chair)
	Simon M J Leary FRSA
	Albert A Poggio GMH OBE
Address	PO Box 2635
	Ilford
	IG1 8UA
President	Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, JP (appointed 1 September 2021)
Vice-President	Claude Hogan, MLA (appointed 1 January 2022)
Parliamentary Advisers	Andrew Gwynne MP
	Andrew Rosindell MP
Chief Executive	Philip R Smith
Independent examiner	Jonathan Parsons FCA
	BSR Bespoke Chartered Accountants
	Linden House
	Linden Close
	Tunbridge Wells
	Kent
	TN4 8HH
Charity number	1156763
Bankers	Barclays Bank plc
	69 Albion Street
	Leeds
	LS1 5AA

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2022.

Structure, governance and management

Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT) (the “Charity”) is constituted under the terms of its governing document (“Constitution”) adopted on 18 September 2013 and last amended on 24 February 2020. The Constitution is that of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with voting members other than its trustees. Andrew M Fox was a first trustee appointed under the constitution and the other trustees were appointed by the trustees and members. New trustees are appointed by the nomination of trustees and members. Trustees who served during the year are listed on page 2. The trustees meet at least quarterly to agree the strategy of the Charity.

Charitable objects

The Charity’s objects, as set out in its Constitution, are:

(1) To advance the education of the public in the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the British Overseas Territories and the history and geography of the British Overseas Territories

(2) To advance the education of young people aged between 18 and 25 by providing educational visits to the British Overseas Territories

(3) To further such other purposes as are exclusively charitable in accordance with the law of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time decide

Day-to-day management

On a day-to-day basis, the Charity is run by unpaid volunteers, led by the Chief Executive, Philip R Smith, to whom management has been delegated by the trustees since the Charity’s inception. The Chief Executive is assisted by a committee of volunteers which includes individuals with experience in finance, public relations and media, charity governance, law and events management. Volunteers, including the Chief Executive, may be reimbursed for expenses properly and reasonably incurred in accordance with the Charity’s expenses policy but they are not otherwise remunerated.

Relationships with British Overseas Territories

The Charity seeks to maintain and strengthen its relationships with UK-based representatives of the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) as well as figures within the governments of the BOTs and the UK Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) to help further its charitable objects.

The Charity appointed a new president, Mrs Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, former premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands, on 1 September 2021. Mrs Cartwright-Robinson replaced Mr Austin Harris Jr (a former member of the legislative assembly of the Cayman Islands) who had served as the Charity’s honorary president since 18 September 2019. The Charity has also appointed its first honorary vice president, Mr Claude Hogan, a member of the legislative assembly of Montserrat, with effect from 1 January 2022. The positions of president and vice president are both honorary in nature and do not have any of the rights, obligations, duties or liabilities of a charity trustee.

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Public benefit

The trustees have referred to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity’s aims and objectives and in planning the Charity’s future activities. In particular, the trustees have considered how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set. The trustees are satisfied that the Charity continues to meet the Charity Commission’s guidelines with regard to carrying out its purposes for the public benefit.

Main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to the objects

Educational activities

Following the lifting of Covid-19 related restrictions imposed by the UK and other governments, the Charity returned to a programme of in-person educational events, as well as remote events delivered over the internet.

Webinars included:

A presentation by Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, former governor of Gibraltar, on the role of governors in the British Overseas Territories
An event about the connection between St Helena and Napoleon Bonaparte in recognition of the bicentenary of his death, with a number of knowledgeable speakers, including Times journalist Michael Binyon
A panel discussion about the April 2021 general election in the Cayman Islands, featuring former MLA Austin Harris, Cayman Islands Government UK representative Tasha Ebanks Garcia, and election observer Hadleigh Roberts
A talk by broadcaster, author and conservationist Stewart McPherson about the “Darwin200” voyage tracing Charles Darwin’s journey to multiple major ports around the world

In-person events included:

A summer barbecue in central London with special guests from a range of other charities connected with the British Overseas Territories
The return of the charity’s ever-popular annual black tie dinner at the Lansdowne Club, with keynote guest speaker The Hon George Fergusson, former governor of Bermuda and the Pitcairn Islands
A dinner at The Norfolk Club in Norwich with special guest Duncan Baker MP
A networking reception and information sharing session in Newcastle with guest speakers Andrew Gwynne MP (one of the Charity’s parliamentary advisers) and Dr Pete Howson, senior lecturer in the social sciences department at Northumbria University

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Outreach activities

The Charity’s outreach activities, which typically involve volunteers arranging visits to some of the BOTs to deepen their understanding and the Charity’s links with local people and organisations continued to be curtailed by international travel restrictions.

Charity representatives were able to return to the annual conference of one of the major UK political parties, having only been able to attend remotely in the previous year after the organisers cancelled the in-person event.

Falkland Islands Museum special appeal

The Charity extended its appeal to raise money for the Falkland Islands Museum into a second year. The museum requires financial support to establish a permanent home for larger artefacts as well as a wider collection of objects that cannot currently be displayed within the historic dockyard museum. The Charity was delighted to raise an additional £3,000 for the museum (2021: £5,000), bringing the total raised and donated over a two year period to £8,000.

Achievements and performance

All of the Charity’s webinars and in-person events were well-attended, with the annual black tie dinner experiencing its highest ever attendance as volunteers and supporters clamoured to meet-up inperson after the lifting of government restrictions related to Covid-19.

In addition, membership subscriptions and donations bounced back, enabling the Charity to continue to reach more people and do more work in support of its objects whilst achieving a small surplus for the period and maintaining a reasonable cash reserve.

Financial review, reserves policy and deficits

The Charity’s receipts in the period increased to £41,155 (2021: £16,596), primarily driven by the strong return of well-attended in-person events.

The trustees have set a policy of maintaining reserves equivalent to three months’ expenditure. At present, reserves are below this level at £4,849 (2021: £4,596).

The Charity does not have any funds in deficit.

Plans for the future

In the forthcoming year, the Charity will take advantage of the relaxation of international travel restrictions and the increasing popularity of in-person activities to increase its outreach work: seeking to build and re-establish links with key stakeholders in and connected to the British Overseas Territories.

Having made an impressive contribution to the Falkland Islands Museum over the last two years, for the forthcoming year the Charity will embark on a new special appeal related to a different type of cause in a different British Overseas Territory.

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Financial statements

The financial statements on pages 8 and 9 have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis. They have been drawn up in compliance with the relevant provisions of the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity’s Constitution.

Approved by the trustees on 7[th] February 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Andrew M Fox Trustee (chair)

Simon Leary Trustee

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Friends of the British Overseas Territories (the “Charity”) for the period ended 31 March 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the Charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011(the “Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the trustees’ accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Jonathan Parsons FCA BSR Bespoke Chartered Accountants Linden House Linden Close Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 8HH

Date: 07 February 2023

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STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2022

	Unrestricted	Total
	2022	2021
RECEIPTS	£	£
Donations and grants	10,486	8,318
Members’ subscriptions	8,039	6,215
Income from events	22,375	1,526
Sales of books and merchandise	255	537
TOTAL RECEIPTS	41,155	16,596
PAYMENTS
Fundraising costs
Event costs	23,911	726
Printing and stationery	140	136
Website and media costs	555	1,088
Total fundraising costs	24,606	1,950
Charitable activities
Donations to special appeals	3,000	5,000
Outreach and governance	13,296	6,696
Total charitable activities costs	16,296	11,696
Asset and investment purchases
Event equipment	-	138
Computer and office equipment	-	216
Other merchandise	-	684
Total asset and investments purchases	-	1,038
TOTAL PAYMENTS	40,902	14,684

NET RECEIPTS / (PAYMENTS)	253	1,912

CASH FUNDS LAST YEAR END	4,596	2,684
CASH FUNDS THIS YEAR END	4,849	4,596

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STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT 31 MARCH 2022

	Unrestricted	Total
	2022	2021
	£	£
ASSETS
Monetary assets
Cash at bank	4,849	4,596
Total monetary assets	4,849	4,596
Non-monetary assets
Computer equipment	1,426	1,426
Event equipment	956	956
Copies of book “Britain’s Distant Lands”	798	798
Copies of DVD “Britain’s Distant Lands”	742	83
Other merchandise	429	684
Total non-monetary assets	4,351	3,947
TOTAL ASSETS	9,200	8,543

NET ASSETS /(LIABILITIES)	9,200	8,543

The notes on page 10 form part of these financial statements.

Approved by the trustees on 7[th] February 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Andrew M Fox Trustee (chair)

Simon Leary Trustee

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PERIOD ENDING 31 MARCH 2022

These financial statements are prepared on a receipts and payments basis, with all revenue and expenses shown on a cash basis. Non-monetary assets and liabilities are shown at estimates of the value at the end of the period.
No remuneration or expenses were paid to any trustee.