eligion Metlia Centre Regbtsred Charity Number 1169562 Address Collaboration House 77-79 Charlotte Street London WIT 4PW Trustees Date a inted October 2016 October 2016 I￿ October 2016 20th March 2017 2*June 2019 2e November 2020 2è November 2020 2Q November 2020 Febnory 2018 Mr Benedict Samuel Rich Rev Christopher Landau Mr Michael Wakelin Ichairl Mr Kevin Jaquiss Roger Bolton Aiison Gow Lois Lee Hussein Kesvani Ms Remona Aly resEned 2¢ November 2020 And￿W Jennings MA FCA Mr Keith Halstead MA {Oxon} FCA Bank Cooperdtive Banl PO Box 101. l Balloon StreeL Mandwter fv160 4EP Religion Media Centre. CoJkbor*ion House, 77-79 Charkjtte 5tree( london WIT 4FW 020 3970 0709 eligion Media Centre ALr' It is an impartial and independent organization aiming to help the media report and understand religion and beliefs. It has no edttorial line, nor does Ét promote any one religion. or reltgious belief in general. Instead, it exists to provide accurate, timely and ￿levant infonnation to the media. enabling the public to be better informed. The trustees have met five times during the year. Remona Afy resigned as trustee in November 2020 due to her over bugl schedule. Three new t￿￿ee5 were appointed in that month: Alison Gow. Audience and Content Director North We5L Reath PLC and President. Society of Editors: Dr Lois Lee. Senior Lecturer Department of Religious Studies at the Univerw of Kent, and Principal Investigator on the Understandlng Unbelief programme; Hussein Kesvani. purnalisL editor, author and producer. Our Trustees are responsible for Complian￿ with thaiity law and with RMCS own charitable objectNes. They set the RMCS strotegic direttion. oversee its work, monitor progress and prioritise the RMUS artNities. They support the tearn of consultants and freelan￿r5 who work on projects and content: monitor and supervise fund raisin8 inTtiatives and advise on marketing. The advisory board was reconfigured to reflect the mafty people wl)o volunteer their tslent and advi￿ in sUPPOrt of our work They a￿ known simply as advisers and are invited frequentty to contribute to our thinking and activÉties: Relwon Medla Centre, ColkixYatM)n Trtowe. 77-79 ￿￿¥￿jtte styeeL ionth)n WIT4PW 020 3970 071YJ eligion Media Cenlre for the Peri(￿ tst April 2020. 31 Marth 2021 Dr Azim Ahmed Deputy Director at the Centre forthe St￿ty of Islam in the UK Direttor of Communications of Exploring Islam Foundation Director Teach:RE at Culham St Gabriel Remona Afy Dr Kate Christopher Andrew Copson ProfAdam Dinham CEOof Humanists UK Professor of Faith & Public Polity, Goldsmiths Freelance radio producer Barrister and rabbi. Dean of the College of Chaplains Surrey UnNersity Social & Public Affairs Adviser to the Arthbishop of Canterbury Senior Research Officer. Infomi St Bride's Fleet Street Head of Finan￿ and FundraisiNd Accountant and fir￿n￿ adviser Caroline Donne Rabbi Alex Goldberg Katie Harrison Dr Sarah Harvey James Irving Andrew Jennings Rey Tony Miles Prof Jolyon Mttchell Dr Suzanne Newcombe Superintendent Minister Methodist Central Hall. Westm&nster Professor of Communications. Arts and Religion. Edinburgh University Senior LettU￿r in Religious Studies, Open University; Director Infonn. Principal and Chief Executive of Cumberland Lodge Fomier Professor of Religion Ethics and Prartice Birmingham University Journalist, author and an ArElican priest FO￿er Digital Evangelism Manager DTocese of Ely. trainee chaplain Rabbi at Maidenhead synagogue Barrister. Chair of City Siktts. Honorary Felbw, Edward Cadbury Centre Associate Professor. Universtty of Leeds Senior Fellow Theos think tsnk CarK)n Ed Newell Prof Stephen Patti50n Rev George Pitcher Eleanor Puttock Rabbi Jonathan Romain Jazvir Singh Dr Jasjit Singh Nick Spencer Judy Trotter Karl Wwman Head of Aduft Edu￿tIon & Learnl￿ JW3 Centre UK Baha'i Office of Public Affairs l. ActNities achievements and rfomiance: Through the Covid-19 pandemic the RMC has adapted and expanded its work online. The lockdowns began two months after receipt of a generousgrant settlement from the Porticus Foundation, the first instalment of a four-year plan. This allowed us to scale up our activitses and adapt to the Dew online environmenL Editorial: As lockdown began in March 2020. the RMC 5trdrted a da1￿ bulletin of religion news sent to a targeted audience of ioumalists and supporters, which has grown throughout the year. Usually consisting of at least six stories at#)ut religion from the UK and around the works. This is read by kev correspondents and specialist ￿￿)rterS and woducer& It has gained trartion during the year and has encouraged a flow of infomwlion into the Centre for inclusion in the newsletter. A team of freelan￿ journalists and sub editOT5 produ￿ news stories, anatyS￿ and features, as well as contributing to fact sk*ets. the majority of whith are written by arademic5. The team includes well established ￿lIgIOuS affairs Corres[￿lents s￿h as Rosie Dawson, Tim WyatL Christopher Relwon Medta Centre. Collat4)TrtpJn House. 77.79 Charbtte StreeL London WIT 4PII 020 39700709 eligion f4eclio Centre p£c￿nts forthe wiod IstApril 2020.31 Marth 2021 Lamb, Andrew Brown and Catherine Pepinster, alongside eXperIen￿d reporters with Specialist knowledge, Lianne Koltrin and Anna AYe￿I0u. Ruth Peacock has continued her engagement as editorial consultsnt. Among the top stories covered this year were: Bishops lining up to criticise Dominic Cummings for breakiTra lockd￿ rule& The major impact of Covid-19 on the religious landscape of the UK with changed worship, festivals and increased actNities to help people in need. The rise of QAnon in the United States and anti-wdxx conspirary theories worldwide. The white evangelical pro Trump SUPFrf)rters and IKJW they relate to UK denominational dNides. The appointment of the fiE5t female Secretsry Ge￿ra1 of the Muslim Courtil of Britain: and the passing of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. In May 2020 we were able to apwint a freelano social media manager. Sorcha Confiell, to expand our social media and online p￿sence. During the year ourtwitter following doubled. we started presence on Linked In, set up a YouTube channel and started three mailouts- a weekly newsletter. daify news bulletins and weekly zoom briefings-which have grown during the year. The trustees agreed to a redesign of the website by Musicarta Ltd. making it more secure and more agile and trying to ochteve fflo￿ sustained Inte￿$t and showcase our expanding bank of editorial material. The Rank Foundation 8enerousfy awarded us a sum towards the cost and the website went INe on 15 March 2021. Tr top a8e ra￿de for people visibng our website is 2&34. Amon8 the many new feature5 is a be4K)ke page listing commentstors on various aspects of religion. all of whom have contributed to our content and work. This is to help journalists reporting on a story and needing expert comment to aid understandirg. We continue to expand our list of commentators from universities and faith group& Events Our third RelIg￿n Media Fe5tival"ExploTing Belief. wh*ch was scheduled for March 2020. had to be cancelled due to the lockdown, which was announced two weeks beforehand. This was very disappointing as we had a fvll progTamme ready to run. However. we did run the festival online in April 2021. in collaboration. again. with the JW3 centre in north London. with a packed programme of well known and established speakers ind￿11￿ Lord Rowan William& fKket sales were lower, but our presence was maintained. Our buslness plan induded holding workshops forioumalists explaining stories in tt* news and we moved this online in March 2020. Starti￿ now well estsblished, **kly loom briefings whith have included hundreds of guest speakers. They are invited to grve an opinion and contribute to a discussion on a story behind the headlines to an audience of journalists and RMC supporters who wish to be better infomied. All the sessions are recorded for ourYouTube channel which has grown 400% in a year. Our tethnical support is provided by Oliver Bowring from Musicarta Ltd. The highest audience was a uK)m atx)ut vthite evangelicals and racism in America which vras viewed 29,(KK) times. Our hosts have included broadcasters Rosie Dawy)n, Roger Bolton, Trevor Barnes and William Crawley. We have prodU￿d some zooms in collaboration with extemal organisations launching a report, such as the Woolf Institute, SOAS, Cambridge Univer51ty and Open Doors. This is an area we would like to expand next year. Relgioft Mèdia Certre, co1￿￿￿t￿)n trlouse, 77-79 Charlotte Street LoFKlon WIT4PW 020 3970 0709 eligion Meciia Centre ntsforthe wi(Kl tst Awil 2020. 31 Marth 2021 Our annual lecture is scheduled for autumn 2021. when we hope we can meet face to face. Traini We put on four trainirE events this year- media training forfaith groups and Reporting Religion for joumalists. Our most successful ventures have been when an or8anisatx)n invite5 us in to offer training for their teams. We hope to expand th￿ next year. In December, Culham St Gabriel gave us a generous award to put on events in five cities in the UK where faith 8roups will meet media professionals. trj aid understanding and create better networks. These will follow a pattern set by an event in Cardiff in 2016 which proved beneficial to all invofved. In this projett, RE teachers are closely involved in the planning and roll out of the events. The RMC and Culham St Gabriel sl*re the similar goal of enhancing religious literac¥ in society. ￿ far, our plans a￿ prOg￿SSing in Manchester. Leeds Binningham. Plymouth and Nottitsm with a view to deliverin8 the project in autumn 2021. Impact Our weekly zoom briefings have i￿luded the falth minister Lord Greenhalgh: Falth ewgement adviser. Colin Bloom: Cardinal Wincent Nichols: the Afchbishop of York; Bishops from Manchester, Leeds and Ripon; leaders of other deTh)minations and faiths: all religiou5 affairs correspondents from major publications. Stories we have contributed to or produced ￿ve aPpea￿d in major religious publications, national titles and Reach PLC regional tille& Content has been used by BBC rep)rters and the Sunday programme on Radio 4. We contrib￿ed to the APPG Religion in the Media report-Learnin8 to Listen- which concluded that reli8ious literacy is essential for the media to produce great N)urnalism. We were p￿ased to be quoted throughout and our wor* held up as a model for trainin8 and briefing journalists, which the APPG believes needs to be fO￿alised as es*ntial $0 that all journal￿ts ewga8e. 2. Fundin In this financial year. we received generous donationsfrom three foundations- Rank, Porticus and Culham St Gabrtel- and our supporter Dr Neil Harbury as well as smaller donations from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter t)ay Saints and the Church of England. The RMCS ambition is to seek donations from a wide variety of organi5atK)ns. capping the amount from any one institutÉon as a proportion of its annual income in order to protect the Centre from any undue influence. Our chair. Michael Wakelin, took on an executive role in business deveioprnent to build stronger relationships and secure our long teTh future. Payments of fees We￿ made to people acti￿ as congjltants. or individual freelances, or small companies. The RMC has an anti-bribery polici and accepts funds from those THho support oUrvi￿n, Yalues and aims and who have a clear governance Structu￿ and transpa￿nt accountability. Our business case is re¥*wed duri￿ the year. Religion Media Centre. Collat￿rat￿)n House. 77-79 Charkitte Stree( Lon&)rt WIT4PW 020 3970 0709 eligion Media Centre Statement of ublic benefrt The Trustees have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidan￿ on public benefft published by the Charity Commission in exercising their p)wers and duties. Benefit has been demonstrated to purnali5ts and media professiona￿ who have used material for programmes and articles and built their knowledge through training. Academics and RE teachers have been able to Spread their knowledge and experttse through providing insight in artKles and contributions to discussK)ns wtth the media. Faith Eeaders and media organizations have en8aBed with the media and each other through events. training and discussions. Results The Charity saw a defiut of £7,746 in the year. Net assets at the eNI of the year were £95,664 in liquid funds. Resepies Poli The Charity is keeping futu￿ obligatM>ns low and currentty has no future cornmitments or overheads as contributors are freelar￿e. The current policy is to retain enough reserves to cover costs and to build up resources to fulfil the Chariws activities at tIE same kvel in the ensuire year. Res onsibilities of Trustees r Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare a receipts and pwmients account aThJ a statement of assets and liabilities for each financial year. In addition, they are responsible for keeping proper accountin8 records which are sufficient to show and explain the Chafity transactions and to disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hen￿ for tskirE ￿a￿Dable steps for the prevention and detettion f fraud and other irregularitie& Michael Wa elin Signed on behalf of the Trustees RelLqbn Med& Centre, Co[￿boratIon Trtouse. 77.79 Charlotte Street Lonth)n WIT4PW 0203970 0709 eligion Meciia Centre A¢counts ftythe tst April 2020. 31 Marth Z021 RELIGK)N MEDIA CEiifRE. ACCOUKtS ￿2021 RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS AccouKf 202fy21 RECEIPT5 Grants Website Training IILCOJ iiu 120 TOTAL 120X*J Expenditure ProJettctsnsuibnLy Corr¢munkaiJon5 Costs Soual media devebprr*nt Computers l eq¥lpment New web51te3nd deb￿0PMent Bu5ine55 de¥ebpment Events MaTketyng Tra¥el Insuran Profession31 lees Tralnlng 49591 49591 244 244 3W2 338 3.759 13306 3)75 4579 L698 3.759 9*76 122 9.676 (Defidtl f¢riheY¥r 45yI -7.746 8L647 126 76 126 71771 Cash atthe bewDn¥￿Off ￿r 3A]0 103AIO 30￿39 Cash Funds attheendol y 89.164 44 103810 Bankand tash balan 3A Repres*rted lry: Lknre5tricted fiJThds ReStric￿d frJnd5 ,164 Totsl fvnds at31 Manh Xt21 103.410 Relrwn Medl? Centre. Co15ab)rat￿ H￿Se. 77-79 Charknte 5tyeeL it￿jOn WIT41YI 020 397007CfJ eligion Wiia Centre kcwnts forthe period tstAwil 2020.31 Marth 2021 Basis of accounting The accounts have been prepared on the receipts and payments basis. The receipts ond payments account is a record of monies recerrfed and pahd during the financial year. The statement of assets and liabilities is a list of significant P0S5es5ions and outstanding financial obligations at the end of the financial year& The accounts compky with the appropriate legal requirements. FUNDS Unrestricted funds comprise those which the Trustees are free to use for any purpose in furtherance of the charitable objects. Restricted funds are funds which are to be used In acco￿an￿ with 4)ecific restrittions imposed by the donor. 3. TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING RELATED PARTIES Included in the accounts is £12.(i1) paid to the chairman relating to work on business development. £846.25 was paid to Rebecca Smith, niece of Ruth Peacock. for 8raphic design V￿rk forthe festNal and lecture. and creating the revised logo. The restricted income in 2021>21 represented £IO,(D) for the website development. which went live on IS March 2021: and £7.5(K) from Culham St Gabtiel for initial planni￿ forthe project to establish events for the media and faith leaders in five UK citie These accounts were approved by the tr*)ard of on P Juty 2021 and signed on its behalf by Michael Wakelin. chair fleligioTr Medla Cerrtre. ColL3trnration HLwJse. 77-79 Chath StreeL WIT4PW 020 3970 0709 eligion Médio Centre Inde￿Trdent Examlnerfs Reprfxt to tl* Trustees ol Religion Media Centre I report to the Twstees on my eXaMina￿n of the accounts of Reli8ion Media Centre (the Charity) for the year ended 31 March 2021. Resw>nslbllltles and basls of report The Charity's Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {-the Acr}. I report in respect of my examination of the CharIt￿S accounts carried out under sertion 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}(bl of the Act. Independent Examlnerfs slatemert I have completed my examination. I confimi that no material matters have come to my attention in connection wtth the examination giving rne cause to believe that in any material respect.. l. accountlng records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by settion 130 of the A¢" or 2. the accounts do not accord ￿ryth those record I have no con￿MS and have come across no other matter5 tn connectM)n with the examinath)n to whlch attentk)n should be drawn In thls ￿P)rt In order to enable a proper tsnderstsnding of the accounts to be reached. Signed:_ Keith Ha15tead MA(Oxonl 60 Woodcote Hurst Epsom Surrey Kf18 7DT io Rellglon MedSa cen1￿, Col￿b)raI￿)n Hw. 77-79 Charlotte streeL LoThkn WIT4P¥V 0203970 0709