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2021-12-31-accounts

2021 .

Quakers & Business Group Annual Report

CHARITY NUMBER 1157008

YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2021

QUAKERS AND BUSINESS GROUP Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registration Number 1157008 TRUSTEES Lesley Bacon Roland Carn (from 19 June 2021) Wendrie Heywood (to 19 June 2021) Greg Mills (from 19 June to 8 December 2021) Stuart Hill David Olver E Elize Sakamoto (from 8 December 2021) Jane‐Eve Straughton (to 19 June 2021) TREASURER Lesley Bacon CO‐CLERKS Roland Carn E Elize Sakamoto REGISTERED ADDRESS Unit 12272, PO Box 7169, Poole, BH15 9EL BANKERS Triodos Bank, Deanery Road, BRISTOL, BS1 5AS

Purpose

The objects of Quakers and Business Group (Q&B) are to promote Quaker principles, particularly in the context of business and the workplace. Q&B is a membership organisation, open to anyone with an interest in ethical business management, which aims to be a meeting place for those whose experience is that integrity in business and the workplace matters. Our meetings and core principles are organised in accord with the Quaker Business Method, which seeks to include and value the input of all members of a meeting.

Public Benefit

As a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, we are very aware of the need to use the monies and other resources entrusted to us by our membership with care. Trustees ensure that while making decisions and plans they have regard to the public benefit in general, and minimise any risks.

Membership

At the end of 2021 there were 157 corporate and individual members. As a membership organisation Q&B attempts to respond to concerns brought up by members, and encourages interactions at a local level, Linked‐In and Facebook groups as well as forwarding news and items of interest to the group as a whole.

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The small membership contact team, comprising the Membership Secretary and two others, has continued to hold regular review sessions over the year in which they allocate tasks to welcome new members, correspond as appropriate with leaving and lapsing members, and respond to individual member requests.

In finding members to be Trustees, serve on Management Committee members and convene the Working Groups which oversee our projects, we pursue the Quaker tradition of seeking to discern the appropriate roles for the organisation, and encourage all members to take their part in upholding its principles and practices. We seek the 'Light' in everyone, and attempt to treat each member equally. We stress plain language and try to avoid Quaker jargon wherever possible.

Achievements

The continuing COVID pandemic meant that all events and activities were held online in 2021. Q&B had been using Skype and Zoom for a number of years so had a head‐start over many charities in the use of online communications. No annual autumn conference was arranged this year but it is hoped to hold one in 2022. The AGM in June 2021 was combined with a members online Gathering.

Q&B activities are organised by a series of Working Groups which report to, and are supported by, the Management Committee. The Working Group activities are described below.

The Development Working Group has promoted a new venture of commissioning Ethos Partnership to produce a video through their Young Leaders programme on the subject of the hostile work environment and how employees should respond ethically. This is expected to be completed in early 2022.

The Connections Working Group has organised twice weekly online workshops where members can exchange views and discuss topics of common concern.

The Communications Working Group acts as Q&B's voice, with a Communications Co‐ordinator who has been active with social media as well as being part of the Connections group mentioned above. The group primarily encourages its members to talk to each other – whether in whole‐group gatherings in person, in smaller groups and in face to face or online settings – to share experiences and learn from one another. A monthly “Making Values Visible” workshop has been held as a way of replacing the physical conferences. This covers topics such as new opportunities for developing wealth potential ‐ post Covid‐19; business as social transformation; the rise of the shareholder as a responsible actor in business; silence speaks louder than words.

The Q&B website has been redesigned to have a cleaner and modern style. The membership database has been incorporated into the website so as to simplify the membership system.

Publications A monthly newsletter is produced and circulated to both members and those on the news only list. The Good Business Guide continues to be a popular book. Now in its third edition, it can be downloaded from the website with versions in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese. A printed version can be purchased from the Quaker Bookshop. There is also an audio version.

The Academic Research Working Group continues to support research and projects. It has supported two PhD students, one of whom has completed and the other is in the process of writing up but delayed by the pandemic. The research on history and significance of Quaker business history should be of interest to a wide audience. Q&B is grateful to the Friends Historical Society for a grant to enable the research to continue.

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The Quaker Bank Working Group has been running a working group for a number of years to consider how a more ethical alternative to the major High Street banks may be built on Quaker Business principles in the 21[st ] Century, drawing inspiration from the significant contribution made in the past by Quakers to the British banking sector. They have recommended that the simplest and the most economical way we can start to help ‘mend the world’ today is by setting up a Quaker Credit Union. The process of considering the next step has again been delayed by the pandemic.

Financial review

2021 was again dominated by COVID‐19 lockdown and precautions. This meant that we had no face to face gatherings, and although we continued to communicate well, the cost of this came from our IT funds, and meetings were free of charge. The distinction between "charitable expenses" (which used to include the costs of conferences and face to face gatherings) and "management expenses" (which includes IT fees) has thus become somewhat blurred, and makes comparisons with the years before COVID difficult.

Q&B ended the year with slightly more funds than at the start. Restricted funds are £3873 (£1647 for the PhD project, and £2226 held for Restoring Relations, who have only been able to spend a small amount this year due to the restrictions on face to face meetings). Non‐restricted funds are £7680 (£1200 of non‐ restricted funds is due to Ethos in 2022).

The reserves policy has been maintained at "50% of the previous year's restricted funds". This was based on the need to be able to bear the costs of a cancelled face to face conference.

Lesley Bacon Trustee and Treasurer

David Olver Trustee

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Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of Quakers and Business Group

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2021.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

As the charity's trustees of Quakers and Business Group 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 Quakers and Business Group 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 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:

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.

3rd March 2022

Gilbert Holbourn

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Quakers and Business Group

Registered Charity 1157008

Statement of Financial Activities

Year ended 31 December 2021

Receipts Notes Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Total
funds		 2020
Donations 1,2 11 3,500 3,511 2,081
Subscriptions 7 3,615 3,615 4,300
Other activities 16 16 43
Interest 5 2 7 19
Gift Aid 509 509 459
Total receipts 4,156 3,502 7,658 6,902
Payments
Management and raising
funds		 3 1,830 1,830 1,878
Charitable activities 4 2,280 3,198 5,478 4,432
Total payments 4,110 3,198 7,308 6,310
Net of receipts/(payments) 46 304 350 592
Total funds at start of year 7,633 3,571 11,204 10,612
Total funds at end of year 5 7,679 3,875 11,554 11,204

Notes to the accounts

Note 1 Accounting policies

Note 2 ‐ Restricted donations received were for Quaker 20th century history project £3,500

Note 3 ‐ Management and raising funds. The remuneration of the Trustees was £Nil (2020 £Nil)

Note 4 ‐ Charitable activities:

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The distinction between management and charitable work has again been difficult this year as most of our charitable work has moved on line. This means that the chief expense has been IT and software, which previously counted as management expenses. Travel, catering and room hire have not been needed this year.

Note 5 ‐ Closing bank balances

2021 2020
Triodos current account £8169 £7913
Triodos deposit account £2751 £2749
Paypal £634 £542
Total £11,554 £11204

Note 6 ‐ Public benefit This is covered in the annual report. Examples are: ‐

Note 7 ‐ Subscriptions

Subscriptions were an income of £3615 after refunds of £435 relating to late cancellations and cancellations from the previous year.

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