Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Spaceship Earth Trustee Annual Report 2023-2024
Introduction
As the Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to welcome you to our Annual Report for the year 2023-2024. This has been a transformative and inspiring year for our organization, and I am proud to share our accomplishments, challenges, and future plans with you.
The purpose of this annual report is to provide a comprehensive overview of Spaceship Earth's activities, achievements, and financial performance over the past year. It aims to demonstrate our commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, while highlighting the positive impact our work has had on the lives of the individuals and communities we serve. By sharing our successes, challenges, and plans for the future, we hope to foster a deeper understanding of our mission and to inspire continued support and engagement from our valued partners, donors, and volunteers.
X
Helen Lin d say M acKen zie Tru stee 10/6/2024
Charity Information
Charity name: Spaceship Earth
Registered charity number: 1164631
Principal address: 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing document: Constitution
Type of organization: Charitable Incorporated Organization
Trustee selection methods: Appointment by Trustees and CEO
Description of the charity's structure:
Spaceship Earth operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO) under the governance of its constitution. The organization's structure consists of the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for overall strategic direction and oversight, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who leads the management team and oversees the day-to-day operations. The management team is further divided into various departments, such as fundraising, communications, program development, and finance, to ensure the smooth functioning of the charity.
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Details of how the charity is managed, including trustee recruitment:
The charity is managed by the Board of Trustees, which meets regularly to review progress, set strategic priorities, and make decisions on key issues. Trustees are appointed through a nomination process, which involves the existing Trustees and the CEO. Candidates are selected based on their skills, experience, and commitment to the charity's mission, and they undergo an induction process to familiarize themselves with their responsibilities and the organization's operations.
List of current trustees and CEO, including brief bios and roles:
Helen Mackenzie (appointed by Matthew Mason on 13/09/2018) - Chair of the Board of Trustees
Helen, born and raised in Zimbabwe, lived through the bush war, an experience that significantly shaped her understanding of the importance of human rights and the need for social justice. This formative period in her life has instilled in her a deep dedication to working in the charity sector, helping people from all walks of life.
With experience in the non-profit sector, Helen has honed her expertise in education and community development. As the Chair of the Board of Trustees, she plays a vital role in leading the board and ensuring effective governance, while providing strategic direction to the organization. Her unique background and unwavering commitment to human rights have made her an invaluable asset to Spaceship Earth and its mission to promote inclusion and dispel misinformation.
Anthony Campbell (appointed on 01/12/2015) - Treasurer
Anthony is a qualified accountant with extensive experience in financial management within the charitable sector. As Treasurer, he oversees the financial operations of Spaceship Earth, ensuring the organization's financial stability and compliance with relevant regulations.
Matthew Mason - CEO
Matthew has been the CEO of Spaceship Earth since its inception. Holding a degree in psychology from the Open University, he possesses a profound understanding of critical thinking skills and the mechanisms through which fascism gains a foothold in society. Matthew's expertise in deciphering how misinformation leads to social tensions between various groups has been instrumental in shaping the organization's vision and strategy.
As a passionate advocate for human rights, Matthew is committed to ensuring that the fight against misinformation goes hand in hand with the promotion of dignity, equality, and justice for all. With a background in social entrepreneurship and substantial experience in raising funds for Polio Eradication through Rotary International, Matthew has demonstrated unwavering dedication to fighting misinformation and protecting human rights.
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Activities, Objectives, and Public Benefit
Charity Objectives:
Dispelling misinformation, conspiracy theories, tearing down barriers of inclusion. We operate online educational meetings to allow anyone in the world to participate, teaching people how they can be tricked into believing misinformation around health, finance, science and anti-Semitism. Fighting Holocaust denial through the restoration and colourisation of historical footage.
Reference to the Charity Commission's Public Benefit Guidance:
In accordance with the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance, Spaceship Earth has ensured that its activities and objectives meet the public benefit requirement. This includes satisfying both the 'benefit aspect' and the 'public aspect' of the requirement.
The 'benefit aspect' is met as the charity's purpose of dispelling misinformation, conspiracy theories, and promoting inclusion is clearly beneficial, identifiable, and supported by evidence. The charity's work in restoring and colourising historical footage to combat Holocaust denial further supports the benefit aspect, with any potential harm or detriment being outweighed by the educational and awareness-raising value of the project.
The 'public aspect' is met by providing educational resources and courses that are available to the public in general, or a sufficient section of the public. The charity offers its courses for free to those who cannot afford them, ensuring that access to valuable information is not limited by financial means. Spaceship Earth's projects, including the Holocaust footage restoration, are designed to benefit the public as a whole without resulting in more than incidental personal benefit.
As charity trustees, the board members of Spaceship Earth have had regard for the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance when making decisions about the charity's activities and objectives. This includes understanding how the charity's purpose is beneficial, managing risks of detriment or harm, making decisions about who benefits in ways that are consistent with the purpose, and ensuring that any personal benefits are no more than incidental.
Spaceship Earth will report on public benefit in its trustees' annual report, explaining how the charity has carried out its purpose for the public benefit and confirming that the trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance where relevant. This reporting will help the charity stay focused on its objectives and demonstrate the value and impact of its work to its supporters, beneficiaries, grant makers, and funding bodies.
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Overview of the charity's activities during the year:
Throughout the year, Spaceship Earth focused on securing funding for its various projects by sending out 688 grant applications. Despite the challenging economic climate, the charity successfully secured four grants and two further pledges subject to remaining funding being put in place by the end of September 2024. We’ve had 159 rejections letters being overwhelmingly supportive but unable to offer financial assistance. The cost-of-living crisis continues to negatively impact the charity sector, with many organizations experiencing a decline in income and an overwhelming demand for their services.
Considering these challenges, Spaceship Earth made their paid course on teaching cognitive biases free to everyone as we recognise the cost-of-living crisis has made it very difficult for people. The charity also continued its consultations with other organizations and conducted ethical reviews of its Holocaust footage restoration and colourisation project.
Achievements and Performance:
During the last financial year, Spaceship Earth secured £11,924 in grants and donations, surpassing the prior year's total of £7,181 . This support has been critical in advancing our mission to preserve and restore historical footage.
At the time of writing this report, we had already made significant progress in the new financial year. Spaceship Earth secured pledges of £3,750 . This brings us to 50% of our goal for funding the colourisation of one reel of Holocaust footage. Additionally, we made a payment to specialist professionals for the restoration of this footage to 4K quality during the financial year. These developments demonstrate the ongoing commitment of our donors and partners to the preservation of historical archives.
Based on feedback of our courses, we have redeveloped them to make it easier for people to participate. We have had a total of 65 instances of participation in our various modules. This means that there have been 65 module completions by participants. This is close to getting to our goal of 100 instances of participation.
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Financial Review:
Spaceship Earth has maintained a reserve policy to ensure that funds are available for grants, payments, and unforeseen expenses. This year, the focus will be on finding funds to colourise the restored reel of Holocaust footage and while also securing funds to pay for the professional management of the Google Grant account for an entire year. This will enable the charity to advertise critical thinking courses to people for free increasing the number of participants.
Future Plans and Goals:
As we look forward to the next year, Spaceship Earth has set clear SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals to guide its growth and development:
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Course Expansion: Our objective is to launch a new course on Logical Fallacies within the next six months, followed by a course on semantics within the next fiscal year. We aim to increase our total course participation by 100 people by the end of the next fiscal year, enhancing our capacity to educate and engage with a broader audience.
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Funding for Restoration and Colourisation: We intend to secure at least £10,000 in grant funding over the next fiscal year. This will be directed towards the colourisation of the restored Holocaust footage and the ongoing restoration work on additional reels. We plan to accomplish this by diversifying our fundraising efforts, increasing the number of grant applications, and engaging more actively with potential donors and partners.
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Stakeholder Engagement: We aim to engage with key stakeholders within the next three months. Our goal is to showcase the progress of our restoration project, explore further funding opportunities, and reinforce our commitment to our mission.
By setting these SMART goals, Spaceship Earth is demonstrating its commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. We are dedicated to our mission of dispelling misinformation, promoting inclusion, and preserving the historical truth of the Holocaust. These goals will serve as a roadmap for the coming year, guiding our actions and helping us measure our progress. We look forward to sharing our achievements in our next annual report.
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Risk Management:
Spaceship Earth is committed to identifying and mitigating risks that could impact the achievement of its mission. In line with our commitment to transparency and accountability, we have outlined below the two principal risks facing the organization, along with our strategies for managing these risks:
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Economic Uncertainty: The ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the potential for a recession pose significant challenges for fundraising efforts. Reduced disposable income may impact the generosity of individual donors and grant-making organizations alike. To mitigate this risk, Spaceship Earth is diversifying its income streams, including the introduction professional PowerPoint presentations to raise awareness about our work and seek funding. Furthermore, we are focusing on demonstrating tangible outcomes from our work, such as the delivery of the restored reel of Holocaust footage from specialist professionals. We anticipate that showcasing the impact of our work in this way will be instrumental in securing further funding.
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Discreditation by Denialist Groups: Our work in restoring and colourising Holocaust footage presents a potential target for Neo-Nazis, Anti-Semites, and Holocaust deniers who may seek to discredit our mission. To manage this risk, we are steadfast in our commitment to authenticity and transparency. The original footage will be shown alongside the restored version to reinforce the veracity of the materials. Additionally, we are vigilant about monitoring public sentiment and prepared to swiftly counter any misinformation with clear, information about our processes and the provenance of the footage.
Spaceship Earth recognizes that risk management is an ongoing process that requires regular review and adaptation in response to changing circumstances. Our Board of Trustees and management team are committed to this task and will continue to prioritize risk management as a key aspect of our strategic planning and decision-making processes.
Reserves Policy:
Our reserves policy is aimed at maintaining a reserve equivalent to 3 months of running costs, including insurance and website operating expenses. Currently, the reserve level held is equal to 3 months of insurance and website running costs, ensuring we can comfortably cover essential operating costs in the event of a financial downturn or unforeseen expenses.
Conclusion:
Despite the challenges faced in the past year, Spaceship Earth has made significant progress in achieving its objectives and has continued to adapt to the changing landscape of the charity sector. The organization expresses its gratitude to all those who have contributed to its success and encourages continued support and engagement in the upcoming year.
X Helen Lin dsay MacKen zie Tru stee 10/6/2024
X An th on y Campbell Tru stee 10/7/2024
Spaceship Earth, 530 Oxford Rd, Reading, RG30 1EG volunteer@spaceshipearth.org.uk www.spaceshipearth.org.uk
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
| Spaceship Earth Charity Name |
Spaceship Earth Charity Name |
Spaceship Earth Charity Name |
1164631 No (if any) |
1164631 No (if any) |
1164631 No (if any) |
CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
06/04/2023 Period start date |
To | 05/04/2024 Period end date |
||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 1,674 - - - 1,674 - - 1,674 580 129 1,070 25 15 360 135 2,314 - - - 2,314 - 640 - 6,861 6,221 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - 250 8,000 1,000 1,000 - - 10,250 - - 10,250 - - - - - - 10,741 - - 10,741 - - - 10,741 - 491 - 620 129 |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 1,674 - 250 8,000 1,000 1,000 - - 11,924 - - - 11,924 580 129 - 1,070 25 15 10,741 360 135 13,055 - - - 13,055 - 1,131 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||
| Donations & Grants | 1,674 | 6,561 | |||||
| BonamyCharitable Trust | - | 120 | |||||
| Phillips FamilyCharitable Trust | 500 | ||||||
| The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation | - | ||||||
| The HDH Wills Charitable Trust | - | ||||||
| David Pearlman Charitable Foundation | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
1,674 | 7,181 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||
| 7,181 | |||||||
| Advertising& Marketing | 580 | 590 | |||||
| Insurance | 129 | 99 | |||||
| IT Software and Consumables | 176 | ||||||
| Postage,Freight & Courier | 1,070 | 411 | |||||
| Travel - National | 25 | 28 | |||||
| Bank Fees | 15 | ||||||
| 4K Restoration of Holocaust Footage | - | ||||||
| Audit and AccountancyFees | 360 | - | |||||
| Office Supplies | 135 | - | |||||
| **Sub total ** | 2,314 | 1,304 | |||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||
| - | |||||||
| - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | - | |||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||
| 1,304 | |||||||
| - 640 | - 491 | - | - 1,131 | 5,877 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 6,861 | 620 | - | 7,481 | 1,604 | |||
| 6,221 | 129 | - | 6,350 | 7,481 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
30/09/2024
1
Docusign Envelope ID: 1194C7FC-E6AD-4F55-A74A-76800F034299
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds |
Details Details Details Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Details Total cash at bank and in hand Signature |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 6,221 129 - - - - 6,221 129 OK 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 Helen Lindsay MacKenzie Anthony Campbell |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| 10/6/2024 | |||
| 10/7/2024 | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
30/09/2024
2