ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Charity Registration Number : 1163505
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Trustees A Murray B Linton L Linton S Ruda C Fiennes (appointed 23[rd] September 2025)
Charity Registered Number 1163505 Address International House London WC1X 9LP
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
CONTENTS
| Page | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustees report |
3 | ||
| 7 | |||
| Statement of financial activities | 8 | ||
| Balance sheet | 9 | ||
| Notes to the financial statements | 10 |
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Objectives and activities
The aims of The Society of Evidence Based Policing (The Society) are to use, produce and communicate the best available research evidence to improve policing and the service offered to communities.
Membership of The Society is open to anybody.
The Society now pursues these aims through five strands of activity:
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Adding value to members We provide meaningful professional development opportunities for members by curating evidence, tools, and learning resources. Our regional, national, and international conferences remain central platforms for dissemination of practical, applied knowledge through presentations, seminars, and panel discussions. These events also offer rich opportunities for networking between police practitioners, academics,
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Reaching and growing new communities We continue to expand beyond our traditional membership base, engaging not only police officers and staff but also researchers, policy professionals, third-sector organisations, and international partners. Regional representatives act as ambassadors, connecting local practice with national and global evidence, and supporting colleagues in evaluating and improving their work.
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Communicating evidence with impact Our newsletters, social media, website and webinars deliver evidence directly to practitioners and decision-makers. We amplify good practice and advocate for evidence-based approaches in policing debates, public forums, and through direct engagement with police forces and partner organisations.
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Collaborating for change We work in partnership with institutions such as the College of Policing, the Youth Endowment Fund, universities, and international SEBP chapters. These collaborations strengthen the production, communication, and uptake of evidence, while positioning SEBP as a trusted voice in discussions on crime reduction, prevention and policing reform.
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Sustaining ourselves through evidence-based practice As a charity, SEBP seeks to be evidence-based in its own governance and operations. We aim to grow as a sustainable organisation by diversifying income, investing in our Member Hub, and ensuring our structures, staffing and decision-making processes are guided by data and evidence of what works.
Policing has the opportunity to transform the lives of individuals and communities by pursuing justice, preventing crime, and promoting safety. The best way to achieve this, we argue, is to be evidencebased where the impact of policing is understood, measured, and improved.
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Public Benefit
Our Trustees are aware of the Charity charity and the funds it raises are entirely dedicated to the advancement of evidence-based policing, the Trustees are of the view the charity meets the public benefit test criteria.
Achievements and performance
The year to March 2025 marked a turning point for The Society, with the appointment of our first paid Chief Operating Officer (COO) in August 2024 funded through a grant from the Youth Endowment Fund. This was the start of a new phase of professionalisation and delivery against our five-year strategy.
Key achievements in the period included:
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Membership growth SEBP membership increased significantly, reaching almost 7,000 members by March 2025. This demonstrates growing appetite among practitioners, academics and partners for evidence-based approaches in policing.
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National conference In September 2024, SEBP held a highly successful national conference in Cambridge, co-hosted with partners including the Youth Endowment Fund and CGI. More than 200 delegates attended, including international participants, with overwhelmingly positive feedback about its professional value.
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Local and regional engagement We supported and collaborated with local SEBP teams to deliver conferences in Devon, Sheffield, and Durham, engaging a wide variety of audiences including Police Constable Degree Apprentices and specialist policing units.
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Easier Said Than Done webinar series We launched this new webinar series focused on implementation of evidence-based practice. Sessions covered interventions such as deferred prosecution, Project Vigilant, focused deterrence, and hotspot policing. The series attracted strong audiences and generated new content for our digital platforms.
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Outreach and presentations SEBP contributed to multiple external events across the UK, raising awareness of evidence-based policing in policing, policy and academic settings.
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Communications and digital platforms We invested in upgrading our digital presence. A redesigned website was launched, and in March 2025 we created the SEBP an online space providing curated resources, training materials, and recordings of events for members.
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Publications and newsletters Our monthly newsletter continued to grow in reach and influence, providing members with accessible summaries of new research and evidencebased practice.
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Five-year strategy and Theory of Change Working with the Youth Endowment Fund, The Society developed a theory of change and five-year strategy, which now guides our programmes of work and provides a framework for measuring impact.
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Together these achievements reflect T -based charity, while retaining the grassroots spirit of volunteerism that has characterised its growth to date .
Financial review
The Society secured funding from the Youth Endowment Foundation (YEF) under a grant agreement during the year, totalling £168,000 to support T over an eighteen-month period to February 2026. This funding is primarily to enable The Society to appoint a COO to drive the development and delivery of a new five-year strategy of growth and expand its scope of activities and events offered to members.
The annual conference held in September 2024 was in partnership with the University of Cambridge and raised income from tickets sales totalling £10,500 and £40,000 in partner sponsorship. The total cost of provision of the conference was £21,219, giving a surplus of £29,281 carried forward to allow funding of future events and other overheads.
In addition, YEF funding allowed The Society to hold two further free regional events costing £6,420.
The Society has one paid member of staff, its COO; the other committee members consist of unpaid volunteers.
Our expenditure for the year primarily consists of the staff costs associated with it the COO and the provision of its annual conference and other local events. Support costs incurred relate to provision of the mailing list and the website.
in 2025, which has allowed the charity to significantly expand its scope of operations and move into a phase of growth which is expected to continue over the next five years. This is reflected in the increase in charitable expenditure from £24,935 in 2024 to £75,832 in 2025, primarily though the delivery of outreach events.
Fundraising Costs Policy
The Society currently does not spend any funds on fundraising.
Reserves Policy
The trustees believe that The Society should hold financial reserves as it does not receive any statutory funding and therefore is dependent on donations and grants and the success of its annual conference to continue in operation.
As at 31 March 2025, the level of unrestricted reserves are £78,518, which the trustees believe is sufficient for the charity to continue in operation at its current level of activity for at least the next 12 months.
Going Concern
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
TRUSTEES REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
The trustees are satisfied that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and therefore continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.
Structure, governance and management
Governing Documents
The Society of Evidence Based Policing is a charity constituted under a Memorandum of Association, and is a registered charity numbered 1163505. The management of the charity is the responsibility of its trustees who are elected under the terms of the Memorandum and Articles of Association.
Appointment of Trustees
New trustees are nominated and appointed by the board of trustees and a minimum of three trustees is maintained at any one time. The Board regularly reviews its composition to ensure it has the All prospective and are invited to meet with current trustees before appointment.
Management and Organisation
The Society is managed by its trustees, who delegate authority for day-to-day operations to its Operations Committee lead by the Chief Operating Officer, and supported by various regional representatives from across the UK.
Reference and administrative details
The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
N Kerr (resigned 25[th] July 2024) B Linton L Linton A Murray S Ruda C Fiennes (appointed 23[rd] September 2025)
The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 18[rd] November 2025.
S Ruda
Chair
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 BaTh I Npare P0554 BDth BAI kNX Charlton Baker Rtportto thÈtrust members ol of Ewdence B05ed Policirg On ¢xcounts for the yrIdId 311t Morch 2025 Char 1163505 I report to the trustees rn ry ewirKrtKfft ol the (QUts ol the ¢A>ove charity l-soc of EvRlente Bosed Pokingl ft¥ the yeorendtd 31" Morch 202& As¢hech(ty'styu#tes, y(WO ye¥n5+> loritskxewolm0ltheoc¢lts•1¢XCw&Jnc¢WIth the iequiremenisd the tnIst 2011 Ilhe Acn I rtKrf Ir rtspe<t )1 my of TruS¢'S (rf(f•L•lty Sec¢p 14V) of Str 1011 Att ond ) c(ryin9Out my èxomffjotithK I h¢M lolk)w•loll thÈ{wAkiJThyeCtiOn$ gln the Choiity COMMISSI sects)n 14515)) 61 the Act I htsveCLYnpki¢d Myexothntst. I c(f1Trn Ilh2t nornterfd Matters havecometo myanention conFbectklD wbth ihe examinotlon wh9veSrne cwseto bel thur lrn.arry mateml respect.. the occtyJn&¥J kept in wlth seci¥i IX) olthe ch(e$ A¢L' th• tsct¢X)ts nL tstcordwilh thè (Cthinrvl9 rÈcords". ( th octtrJrrt% did not comply with th• w)11¢0t4e rewNmAnts farm and rMt•Thl nl %•1 ns kn ihp fmiilm lArr¢ml% Rrtl RpgiAnlif ?rTh nthpr thr ODY re9L¥Ternent that the (¢Ju 9r4e 0 1rue aThJ fr. view 15 not a morter£L%dered 05 I htsvÈ nts con¢Èms (d tomèttn)ss no othr¢YttÈrS in btsith thè ÈxtsnMrnti(xl to whith be tabn Dl ths reFth to errtjk a pmper understanding 011 occounis to be reached. Signed.. Dotv. 3vJ Decerrthr2025 Name.. Athm Woliers BFPACA Comwny. Chodion Bc&er (Bthhl timtted Adtkess.. l North Porfy* Passage. Bath. BAI INX I¢Aiw ACCREDITEO FOfQ PR08ATE CHAPTEPED ACCOUPITthT5
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Notes Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Income from: Donations 341 3,000 Grants - 168,000 Events 66,555 - Total income 66,896 171,000 Expenditure on: Charitable activities 2 (19,452) (73,083) Operating surplus/(deficit) 47,444 97,917 Interest received - - Net (outgoing) /incoming resources 47,444 97,917 Fund balance at 1 April 2024 31,074 5,000 Fund balances at 31 March 2025 78,518 102,917 |
Total 2025 3,341 168,000 66,555 237,896 (92,535) 145,361 - 145,361 36,074 181,435 |
Total 2024 20 - 32,703 |
|---|---|---|
| 32,723 | ||
| (25,735) | ||
| 6,988 | ||
| - | ||
| 6,988 | ||
| 29,086 | ||
| 36,074 |
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025
| Notes £ Assets 5 t Assets s 6 t bank and in hand rs: amounts falling hin one year 7 sets e funds ted funds 8 ricted funds |
2025 £ 126,897 53,878 180,775 (475) |
1,135 180,300 181,435 102,917 78,518 181,435 |
2024 £ £ 5,268 32,170 37,438 (1,364) |
- 36,074 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36,074 | ||||
| 5,000 31,074 |
||||
| 36,074 |
The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 18th November 2025 and authorised for issue:
. . . . S Ruda L Linton Trustee Trustee (Treasurer)
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
1 Accounting policies
Charity information
The Society of Evidence Based Policing is a charity registered in England and Wales. The contact address is .
1.1 Accounting convention
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies are set out below.
1.2 Going concern
As discussed in note 10, the charity was converted into a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) post year end. As the overall charitable objects and aims are unchanged the trustees consider this a continuation of the same organisation with a change to the underlying legal form only.
All the existing charity s assets and liabilities will be transferred into the new CIO and therefore at the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus, the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.
1.3 Charitable funds
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have been designated for other purposes.
Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
1.4 Incoming resources
Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.
Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
1.5 Incoming resources (cont.)
Grant income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the charity has entitlement to the funds, the amount can be measured reliably, and it is probable that the income will be received.
Where grants are received for specific purposes (restricted funds), income is recognised when the charity has entitlement under the terms of the grant agreement. Income is deferred only when the grant conditions specify that the funding must be used in a future accounting period or where the charity has not yet met the conditions for entitlement.
Grants that are given to fund specific projects or activities are accounted for as restricted income. Grants that are not subject to specific conditions are treated as unrestricted income.
1.6 Resources expended
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular activities they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.
1.7 Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual value over their useful lives on the following bases:
Computer equipment 33% straight line
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
At each reporting date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| 2 Expenditure on charitable activities Events £ Staff costs 20,552 Charitable expenditure 42,848 63,400 Support costs 3 14,775 Governance costs 3 432 78,607 Analysis by funds Unrestricted funds 18,843 Restricted funds 59,765 78,607 For the year ended 31 March 2024 Unrestricted funds 24,231 Restricted funds - 24,231 |
Member Support £ 8,221 4,212 12,433 1,452 43 13,928 609 13,318 13,928 1,504 - 1,504 |
Total 2025 £ 28,772 47,060 75,832 16,228 475 92,535 19,452 73,083 92,535 |
Total 2024 £ - 24,935 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24,935 504 296 |
|||
| 25,735 | |||
| 25,735 - |
|||
| 25,735 |
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
3 Support Costs
| Staff costs Advertising & promotion Audit & accountancy fees Bank charges Legal & professional Compliance fees Depreciation Exchange losses IT/website costs Subscriptions Travelling & subsistence |
Support costs Governance costs £ £ 12,331 - 35 - 224 475 9 - 180 - 378 - - - 2,480 - 397 - 84 - 16,228 475 |
Total 2025 £ 12,331 35 699 9 180 378 - 2,480 397 84 16,703 |
Total 2024 £ - - 453 23 - 70 - 96 158 - - |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 |
4 Employees
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
| 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|
| - | - |
The charity had no members of staff directly employed by the organisation in the year (2024: nil).
During the year the charity indirectly employed 1 member of staff (2024: nil) as part of a grant funding agreement with Police Foundation, the costs for which totalled £41,103 and are included in staff costs reported in notes 2 and 3. Had this member of staff been directly employed by The Society the average number of employee would have been 1 (2024: nil).
No member of staff received total employee benefits exceeding £60,000 in the year (2024: nil).
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
5 Tangible fixed assets
| Cost At 1 April 2024 Additions At 31 March 2025 Depreciation At 1 April 2024 Depreciation charged in the year At 31 March 2025 Carrying amount At 1 April 2024 At 31 March 2025 6 Debtors Prepayments Accrued income |
2025 - 126,897 126,897 |
Computer equipment - 1,513 |
Computer equipment - 1,513 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,513 | |||
| - 378 |
|||
| 378 | |||
| - | |||
| 1,135 | |||
| 2024 5,268 - 5,268 |
Accrued income represents amounts due under the YEF grant funding agreement to which the charity is entitled, but where funds have not yet been received.
7 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
| Accruals Other creditors |
2025 475 - 475 |
2024 375 990 |
|---|---|---|
| 1,365 |
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SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
8 Funds
| Restricted funds: Development Project YEF Grant Donation in kind Total restricted funds Designated funds: Development Project Unrestricted funds Total unrestricted funds Total funds |
Balance at 1 April 2024 £ 5,000 - - 5,000 10,000 21,074 31,074 36,074 |
Incoming Resources £ - 168,000 3,000 171,000 - 66,896 66,896 237,896 |
Expended Resources £ - (73,083) (3,000) (73,083) - (19,452) (19,452) (92,535) |
Transfers £ - - - - - - - - |
Balance at 31 March 2025 £ 5,000 97,917 - |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102,917 | |||||
| 10,000 68,518 |
|||||
| 78,518 | |||||
| 181,435 |
Development Project
Funds have been received to support The Society in developing itself and the range of services offered in order to support its charitable aims. The trustees have designated additional funds to support this project.
YEF Grant
Grant funding was received in 2024 to support the Charity long-term strategy through the recruitment of a Chief Operating Officer and to expand its range of activities in the provision of outreach events and member services.
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE BASED POLICING
9 Related party transactions
Key management personnel consist of the Chief Operating Officer.
The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows:
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Aggregate compensation | 41,103 | - |
The trustees did not receive any remuneration or benefits for their services in the year. (2024: No trustees received any remuneration or benefits)
During the year a member of key management donated services valued at £3,000. This was recognised as a donation-in-kind and recorded at the market value of the services donation. No remuneration or benefits were provided in return.
The cost of attendance for three trustees to the annual conference in September 2024 was covered by the Charity, totalling £450. (2024: The cost of attendance for three trustees to the annual conference in November 2023 was covered by the Charity, totalling £660.)
There are no other transactions with related parties in the year. (2024: No other transactions with related parties.)
10 Events after the reporting period
In November 2025 the trustees approved the conversion of the charity ture from unincorporated charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The new CIO replicates the existing charitable aims and objectives of the existing charity. Approval was received from the Charity Commission in December 2025. Following this all of the assets and liabilities of the unincorporated charity will be transferred into the new CIO.
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