To
Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date 01 January 2024 31 December 2024
From
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1167722
Arctic Research Group
| Charity's principal address | 29 Station Road |
29 Station Road |
|---|---|---|
| Borrowash | ||
| DERBY | ||
| Postcode | DE72 3LG |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Ian Frearson | Founder & Trustee | |||
| Mr Bernard Frearson |
Trustee | |||
| Mr Simon Hall | Trustee | |||
| Mr Christopher Searston |
Trustee | Until 20thFebruary 2024 | ||
| Dr Stephen Staley | Trustee | |||
Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
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Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
Dr Stephen Staley, Group Leader. Mr Daniel Clarke, Safety and Logistics Leader
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document
CIO
- (eg. trust deed, constitution)
How the charity is constituted
Association
- (eg. trust, association, company)
Nominated internally from members of the Group with a proven track Trustee selection methods record of maintaining the interests of the Group
- (eg. appointed by, elected by)
Additional governance issues (Optional information)
You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
The Group continues to work to the original principals and policies set up in 2016 when Charity Status was awarded.
-
policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
-
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY
`
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
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1 To advance knowledge of the High Arctic environment through scientific research into all its aspects and the dissemination of the useful results for the benefit of the public.
-
2 To encourage the continuation of research expeditions by engaging with and taking along new young scientists on expeditions and introducing them to the rigours of field research in this hostile environment. It is also hoped that
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some will be able to incorporate academic thesis work alongside their ARG research, thus contributing directly to their University courses.
3 If the objectives specified in 1 and 2 should for any reason cannot be fulfilled in the short term then the Group will continue to plan for the future continuation of research expeditions and recruitment of new members who will be able to maintain the vision of the founding group.
4 The strategy of the ARG is to undertake useful, meaningful scientific research that will add to current information, benefitting both science specifically and the public generally to achieve a better understanding of the High Arctic environment. The Group's strategy has always been designed to guarantee a higher than average chance of success with all expeditions by undertaking a series of interlinked, but scientifically separate, projects. Together these should provide a better scientific understanding of the research area generally, as the individual projects are chosen on their own merit, are complementary to each other and still have merit if other projects have to be cancelled or scaled back. This strategy makes the best economic as well as scientific sense and has stood the ARG in good stead since its inception in 1988.
The Group positively encourages the inclusion in field research parties of a number of new young scientists and members of the public who may not otherwise get an opportunity to join a scientific expedition. This in turn helps to ensure that order that a dynamic interest in high latitudes continues for the benefit of all areas of society and academia and to better aid the protection of these fragile environments.
Where possible learned papers are produced for publication and, for all our expeditions, a full expedition report is produced that is widely disseminated (including to university libraries and on our website).
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)
The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
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You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
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policy on grantmaking;
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policy programme related investment;
All the members of the ARG are volunteers, giving their time and effort without charge in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. The continuing support of the members underpins the Group’s work; without this support the actual hard work of identifying and selecting new members, planning, arranging, executing and financing expeditions - and both generating and publishing scientific reports - would not be possible. The harsh climatic situations in the research areas puts an enormous strain on all equipment taken and used, which therefore requires regular replacement. Responsibility for replacing equipment also falls on the ARG members, who spend countless hours chasing leads and contacts to secure replacement equipment as required in order that successful and safe expeditions may continue.
- contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year In 2024 two learned papers were published with ARG members as joint authors based on the work carried out by the ARG’s 2023 Recherchefjorden expedition (in Marine Pollution Bulletin and in Environmental Science & Policy). 2024 was also spent planning and recruiting members for the July 2025 expedition to Tempelfjorden, Svalbard (this has now been successfully completed). This was a 10 person expedition that carried out scientific studies of (a) beach rubbish pollution (b) the effects on climate change of nitrogen compounds in glacial runoff (c) revisiting sites visited in 1983 to assess the impact of climate change on the flora and fauna and (d) redigging 1983 ice pits on glacier accumulation areas to assess the state of glacial health versus 42 years previously.
Section E Financial review
| Brief statement of the charity’s policy on reserves Details of any funds materially in deficit |
The Group does not carry reserves as such and its finances operate on a rolling programme where excess funds from one year will help offset potential losses from another. |
|---|---|
| None |
Further financial review details (Optional information)
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You may choose to include Principal sources of funds in 2024 were third party donations and a additional information, where payment from Barclays Bank in respect of a Banking Ombudsman’s relevant about: decision in favour of the ARG. • the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising); These were used to pay for necessary expedition-related costs: a • how expenditure has deferred charge for minibus use in 2023 plus rental costs for the storage container in Svalbard. Minor amounts were spent on ancillary costs such supported the key objectives as website hosting. of the charity; • investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted. Section F Other optional information ~~|~~ Section G Declaration ~~ee~~ The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s) Dr Stephen Staley Full name(s) Ian Frearson Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Founder & Trustee Trustee etc) ~~—_——~~ Date 7th October 2025
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| Arctic Research Group | Arctic Research Group | Arctic Research Group | 1167722 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts andpayments accounts | CC16a | ||||||||
| For the period from |
For the period | 1:1:2024 | To | 31:12:2024 | |||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Restricted | Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | ||||
| to the nearest £ |
to the nearest | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | |||
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||
| openingbalance 1 562 On line donations 513 Barclays payment for Ombudsman decision 250 Sub total(Gross income for AR) 2 325 ~~—= ==~~ |
- - - - - - - - ~~== ~~ |
1 562 8 012 513 - 250 - - 2 325 8 012 ~~>=~~ |
|||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). Sub total Total receipts ~~SS SSSS=~~ |
- - - - - - Sub total - - - - - 2 325 - - 2 325 8 012 ~~SSSS=~~ |
||||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| Storage in Svalbard 300 Delayed minibus hire costs 150 GoDaddyweb services 24 Sub total 474 ~~=~~ |
- - - - - |
- - - - - |
- - - - - |
300 150 24 - 474 |
- - - - - |
||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - Sub total - - - - - Total payments 474 - - 474 - ~~——————~~ |
|||||||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) 1 851 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 1 851 ~~——~~ |
- | - - - - - - |
- - - - - - |
- - - - - - |
- 1 851 - - - - - - - 1 851 ~~——~~ |
8 012 - - 8 012 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
1
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 1 000 - - 851 - - - - - 1 851 - - Details Total cash funds Cash retained in Svalbard bank Barclays Bank a/c B1 Cash funds ~~—~~ |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 1 000 - - 851 - - - - - 1 851 - - Details Total cash funds Cash retained in Svalbard bank Barclays Bank a/c B1 Cash funds ~~—~~ |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 1 000 - - 851 - - - - - 1 851 - - Details Total cash funds Cash retained in Svalbard bank Barclays Bank a/c B1 Cash funds ~~—~~ |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 1 000 - - 851 - - - - - 1 851 - - Details Total cash funds Cash retained in Svalbard bank Barclays Bank a/c B1 Cash funds ~~—~~ |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Categories Unrestricted funds Restricted funds Endowment funds to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ 1 000 - - 851 - - - - - 1 851 - - Details Total cash funds Cash retained in Svalbard bank Barclays Bank a/c B1 Cash funds ~~—~~ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (agree balances with receipts and payments | (agree balances with receipts and payments | |||
| account(s)) | OK OK |
OK | ||
| Unrestricted Restricted |
Endowment | |||
| funds funds |
funds | |||
| Details | to nearest £ to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | ||
| B2 Other monetary assets | 8 800 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Claim for ~£8,800 grant (as a reimbursement of past costs) filed with the Miljovernfond. Was paid post-period end. ~~===~~ |
|||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
||
| B3 Investment assets | - - - - - - - - - - ~~——~~ |
|||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
||
| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x4 survival suits x2 base camp tents x2 satellite phones set of VHF radios and base station ~~eee~~ |
|||
| Fund to which Amount due |
When due | |||
| Details | liability relates (optional) |
(optional) | ||
| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B5 Liabilities CCXX R2 accounts (SS) |
5 535 - - - - Date of approval 7th October 2025 7th October 2025 Loans from, and as yet unreimbursed, payments made by, Dr G Staley (was reimbursed post-period end) Print Name Ian Frearson Dr G Staley Signature ~~2~~ ~~==~~ |