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2023-12-31-accounts

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

THE ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1174798 (Formerly Charity Registration Number 290367)

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

Contents Page

Page
Members of the board of trustees and administrative information 3 - 4
Report of the trustees 5 – 14
Independent auditors report 15 - 16
Statement of financial activities 17
Balance sheet 18
Statement of cash flows 19
Notes to the financial statements 20 -29

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES in 2023 Outgoing Trustees in place January to 25 May 2023

World President and Acting Area President for
Central & South Asia		 Mrs Magdie de Kock South Africa
Deputy World President, Chairman Agriculture
Committee and ActingTreasurer		 Mrs Alison Burnett Scotland
Secretary and Chairman Triennial World
Conference Committee		 Mrs Christine Reaburn Canada
Chairman Projects Committee Mrs Edwina Marr Northern Ireland
Chairman Communications & Marketing
Committee		 Mrs Sheila Needham Canada
Chairman United Nations Committee Mrs Marie Kenny Canada
Area President Canada Mrs Linda Hoy Canada
Area President South Pacific Mrs Gail Commens Australia
Area President Caribbean, Central & South
America		 Mrs Irene Hinds Trinidad & Tobago
Area President East, West & Central Africa Ms Irene Chinje Cameroon
Area President Europe Mrs Afrodita Roman Romania
Area President South East Asia & the Far East Mrs Norjanah Razali Malaysia
Area President Southern Africa Dr Marina Muller Namibia
Area President United States of America Mrs Bonnie Teeples United States of
America

Elected at 30[th] Triennial World Conference from 25 May 2023

Trustee and World President Mrs Magdie de Kock South Africa
Trustee and DeputyWorld President Ms Irene Chinje Cameroon
Trustee and Treasurer Mrs Angela Cassels Scotland
Trustee and Secretary Mrs Vanda Gagiano South Africa
Trustee and Board Lead Advocacy Dr Elizabeth Ann S Kelly England
Trustee and Board Lead Community
Transformation & Projects		 Mrs Edwina Marr Northern Ireland
Trustee and Board Lead Knowledge Sharing &
Local Activities		 Mrs Anne Innes Canada
Trustee and Board Lead Partnerships Ms Claire Mahon New Zealand
Trustee and Area President Canada Mrs Marie Kenny Canada
Trustee and Area President Caribbean, Central &
South America		 Ms Irene Hinds Trinidad & Tobago
Trustee and Area President Central & South Asia Ms Tharindra
Arumapperuma		 Sri Lanka
Trustee and Area President East, West & Central
Africa		 Mrs Clare Jethwa Kenya
Trustee and Area President Europe Mrs Afrodita Roman Romania
Trustee and Area President South East Asia & the
Far East		 Mrs Cora Sayre Philippines
Trustee and Area President South Pacific Mrs Lyn Braico Australia
Trustee and Area President Southern Africa Dr Marina Muller Namibia
Trustee and Area President United States of
America		 Mrs Bonnie Teeples United States of
America

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

Executive Director Ms Tish Collins
Charity Registration Number 1174798 (formerly 290367)
Principal Office The Foundry
17 Oval Way
London SE11 5RR
Banker National Westminster Bank plc
57 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0HP
Investment Manager Close Asset Management Limited
10 Primrose Square
London EC2 2BY
Auditor SCC Chartered Accountants
17 College Street
Armagh
BT61 9BT

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

The Trustees of Associated Country Women of the World (‘the Charity’ or ACWW) present their report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing the accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Vision and Mission

The Associated Country Women of the World was founded in 1929 to bring together rural women and their organisations from all over the world, and in so doing address the challenges they faced as a result of the isolation of their communities, discrimination against women, and their lack of access to political processes.

Reaffirming the earliest statements from our founders, ACWW calls for co-operation among women’s organisations to ensure action to secure meaningful, quality education for all young people. The advancement of education is a pathway to the relief of poverty and the relief of sickness and preservation of health. Our work is rooted in the fundamental principles of human rights, and we work on behalf of those who experience intersecting injustices and inequality. ACWW stands against discrimination in all its forms, and works towards gender equality, accessibility, global citizenship, solidarity with those facing discrimination, and sustainable development. The full ethics statement re-adopted by the incoming Board in 2023 is available to read or download from our website.

Structure, Governance, and Management

ACWW is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales, number 1174798. It is governed by a constitution revised and confirmed by the Charity Commission on 22 September 2017 and confirmed, with updates approved by the Charity Commission, by voting delegates at the 30[th] Triennial World Conference in May 2023. Formerly ACWW was registered as an unincorporated charity, registration number 290367.

The Charity consists of independent organisations and individuals affiliated to it as fee-paying members which are associated for achieving shared objectives. ACWW’s membership currently spans 57 countries, and since 1947 we have passed more than 180 policy resolutions by popular vote. The key concept behind each of these is the empowerment of rural women in all their diversity. There are four categories of society membership which are differentiated by the size and nature of the applicant organisation. Categories govern membership fees and voting rights at the Triennial World Conference; there are also individual members and a special Category for elected members of the Board, (who are individual members), for the duration of their being in post.

The Triennial World Conference is the highest legislative body of ACWW, it establishes policy and all matters concerning the Constitution and elects the Board of Trustees. The Board elected for the 2023-2026 triennium included representatives from fifteen countries.

In 2023, the Board adopted ‘Sustainable Growth for the Future’ as the Triennial theme and as we move towards marking the centenary of our Association, we continue to amplify the voices of our members, who are Rural Women in Action.

Board of Trustees

The administration of ACWW is vested in an elected Board of Trustees and the World President is the Chairman of the Board. The Board employ an Executive Director who is responsible for Central Office staff who take on the day-to-day work whilst the Board have a more strategic role, deciding the charity’s priorities and future plans.

Board Structure and Working Methods

Since the foundation of ACWW, the organisation has grown and changed in its practices to best reflect the realities of its time. In the past, models have included a Council, and various Areas have been formed, adjusted, or re-framed. Committees have come and gone, or had their mandates and titles changed to best suit the prevailing situation. Having carefully examined more than 30 years of data and discussed the strengths and

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challenges of the 2019-2023 Triennium to date, ACWW’s Board of Trustees concluded that the organisation’s existing structure and working methods needed to be revised to best suit the reality of the current global situation.

Inspired by the successful introduction of ACWW Coordinators and conscious of the inadequacies of the old Specified Committee structure, following the Triennial World Conference in May 2023, ACWW restructured the working methods of the Board. Eight Working Groups, each led by a Board Member, and comprising of Board Members and relevant staff, focus on the following priorities: Advocacy, Budget & Finance, Community Transformation & Projects, Knowledge Sharing & Local Activities, Membership, Partnerships, Safeguarding & Data Protection, and Triennial World Conference. These Working Groups align with our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, with the aim of achieving a more collaborative style of work. Working Group meetings are facilitated online by staff administrators based at Central Office in London, generally meet a minimum of three times a year then report back to the Board who meet four times a year.

The Specified Committees which were previously named in the Constitution ceased to function at the conclusion of the 2019-2023 Triennium, in line with the decision to revoke the delegation of powers by the Board of Trustees taken in February 2022, as allowed for in the Constitution. This also entailed updating the Bye Laws and Standing Orders relating to the Specified and Ad Hoc Committees for the new Triennium.

As noted above, new Working Groups were established at the start of the 2023-2026 Triennium. Given the nature of these changes, the resolution from the outgoing Board recommended that the Board of Trustees elected in 2023 should establish what they believe to be the best Board titles and responsibilities for ACWW’s immediate future, enacting these changes through the Standing Orders as allowed for in the 2017 Constitution.

The outgoing Board met in person immediately before the 30[th] Triennial World Conference (held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 17-25 May 2023) and the Incoming Board met for 5 days of training and induction before leaving Malaysia in May 2023. The Board met online in September, and a further in-person meeting took place in November 2023 in London. All Working Groups have met online, and the plan is not to have in-person meetings for 2024 to save on costs.

The World President and Executive Director are in frequent and regular contact. The Executive Director and Central Office staff in London carry on the day-to-day administration of the organization, ensuring compliance with statutory and charity requirements, financial and membership record keeping, projects administration, advocacy, writing and design of publications including The Countrywoman magazine, drafting statements and policy documents, research and information to support and administer the work of the Working Groups and Board.

2022-2026 Strategic Plan – ‘Rural Women in Action’

2023 was the first full year of operation under the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. The 30[th] Triennial World Conference held in May 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia endorsed the plan and necessary constitutional amendments (see details in the Memberships and Conference section below).

The Board are fully aware that any changes can feel strange and challenging. It is important to remember that ACWW has never stood still, and though many think “we have always done” this or that, the reality is that ACWW has always had to move with the times. Whether this was the “Million Member Fund” becoming “Pennies for Friendship” which became the “Rural Women in Action Fund”; or starting to fund projects in 1977 which were then reformed and reframed severally over the years to the current Projects programme; there has always been forward progress, and we are excited to continue this in 2023 and beyond.

Data Protection

All Board and Staff Members use dedicated laptop computers provided by ACWW, with training provided by Central Office staff, and supported when necessary by ACWW’s external IT supplier. Meetings are held via Microsoft Teams, and the use of encrypted document storage has increased ACWW’s security and compliance. The Chief Privacy Officer (a senior member of staff) works with the Board Lead on Safeguarding and Data Protection, as well as staff, the Safeguarding and Data Protection Working Group, and the Board, to keep policy and implementation up to date.

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Volunteer Roles

Trustees and Coordinators alike are volunteers who contribute considerable time and energy to furthering the aims of the Charity. As activities are carried out across over 57 countries, it has not been possible to quantify the number of volunteer hours. At conference time, in addition to the local volunteer Hostess Society or Coordinating Committee, many volunteers come forward to act in a variety of vital administrative and support roles, for what become great social occasions and opportunities to forge friendships with people from different cultures and countries. During the Triennial World Conference, more than 60 volunteers provided invaluable support for ACWW to deliver a successful conference.

ACWW Coordinators

The ACWW Coordinator Programme was launched in February 2022 and progress was made in 2023 to further improve and strengthen its structure and purpose. This programme is designed to receive nominations from ACWW member societies for individuals to act as a liaison between the member society and ACWW centrally. The intended impact of this programme is to support the work of Area Presidents and ensure ACWW is able to reach to the grassroots of our extensive membership. In 2023 there were 20 new Coordinators approved by the Board, bringing the total to 54 Coordinators. There were 6 Coordinators’ meetings during the year, where ideas were shared, training took place, and clarifications were given. Coordinators were given access to resources like presentations, speaker’s notes, bespoke flyers, posters, and pop-up banner designs, and documentation to help explain the work of ACWW. This has supported increased consistency in ACWW’s messaging globally and provided useful feedback on innovation for generating grassroots engagement with ACWW’s work. Coordinators views and opinions also inform the Board, support the role of Area Presidents and our wider advocacy work.

Central Office

Central Office relocated to rented offices at The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR in July 2023 following months of occupying temporary space as the premises at A04 Parkhall, 40 Martell Road, London SE21 8EN had become unfit for use due to flood damage. ACWW had moved into A04 Parkhall in September 2017. The Foundry is a serviced workspace that provides tenancy for social justice and human rights organisations. ACWW Central Office is benefitting from being in close proximity to these NGOs and like-minded organisations, as there are learning and collaborating opportunities.

Staff

There were some staff changes in the year: Ms Sydney Salter moved on from ACWW in April 2023, having been with the organisation six and a half years. Ms Casey Daudelin was promoted from Office Administrator to Membership Engagement Officer in September 2023. Finance Manager Ms Yvette Dyer left in August 2023 to take up employment elsewhere and Ms Uju Maduforo was welcomed to the post in October 2023. Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Omolabi, Finance Assistant, left to take up alternative employment in June and Rebecca Ramsey was reassigned from PA to Executive Director to the post of Finance Officer in September 2023.

Risk Management

The Trustees reviewed the risks faced by the Charity and confirm that systems are in place to manage those risks and accompanying procedures are strengthened as appropriate. As a substantial part of the Charity’s income derives from membership fees, strategies to increase membership numbers and retention continue to be addressed.

Investments and Investment policy are regularly reviewed with investment managers to avoid unnecessary losses and maintain capital whilst increasing income. Falling membership and rising costs continue to impact the Charity’s bottom line and the Board continues to explore measures to increase income and reduce costs. The Board agreed at the November 2023 Board meeting to invest in needed staff for Fundraising and Communications Officer posts to help expand, diversify and increase our income sources. The Board maintained sufficient financial reserves for project commitments and 36 months operational commitments in line with current reserves policy.

Reserves Policy

The Reserves Policy of ACWW is to seek to maintain 36 months’ worth of normal income and expenditure to meet the requirements of a triennium, which includes providing a level of working capital that protects the

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

continuity of our core work. That is, advocacy on behalf of rural women including with United Nations agencies, information and research including production of The Countrywoman magazine for members, education, outreach and projects, Board and governance expenditure, maintaining a Central Office to facilitate all the above – this requires in the region of £ 550,000 per year. There is also a requirement to provide cover for risks such as unforeseen expenditure or unanticipated loss of income.

Following the notice from Investment Fund Services Limited of the closure of the CAF Fixed Income account, the majority of the funds were transferred and reinvested in our Close Brothers fund. The overall market value showed a profit of £82,458 over the year, compared with a net investment loss of £335,116 the previous year from the combined CAF and Close Brothers portfolio. The Board explored the possibilities of outside funding with plans to implement achieving growth in 2024. Legacies are an important source of income which cannot be budgeted for, but we were pleased to receive funds from one legacy in 2023.

Investment Policy and objectives including any social, environmental or ethical policies

The policy continued to encompass the retention of the organisation’s capital reserves and to raise funds towards operating expenses. Funds invested were managed on a ‘medium risk’ strategy through the holding of a range of different types of assets. Restrictions continued whereby investments in armaments, negative environmental impact, oppressive regimes, pornography are disallowed and there is no additional investment in tobacco products.

ACWW seeks to empower women and communities through: Local Activities, Advocacy, Partnership, Learning from each other and Sharing of Knowledge

We believe that to address systemic issues, we must see systematic change. Development projects which empower women in their local communities can only succeed when local, national, and international processes recognise the human rights and needs of rural women. Our objectives continue to be the relief of poverty, the relief of sickness and protection and preservation of health, and the advancement of education. In line with the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, published on our website, we will continue to strengthen ACWW’s network of women’s organisations globally by building capacity, facilitating cooperation, and working with like-minded external partners to achieve our objectives. ACWW will continue to use its Consultative Status with the United Nations and its Agencies to amplify the voices of rural women and highlight the issues they raise at the international level.

ACWW has always facilitated the sharing of knowledge between Members. We remain committed to this and, where appropriate, will use digital options to broaden these efforts. Area Conferences, and the Triennial World Conference, along with support for meetings, seminars, webinars, and training programmes will further build capacity within our membership. Additionally, every Member Society is encouraged to nominate an ACWW Coordinator, to share knowledge from within their society and promote ACWW’s work, ensuring the two-way nature of our network thrives and acting as a support mechanism for Area Presidents.

Membership and Conferences

ACWW is an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) and pursues its charitable objectives through its member societies and through networks of non-member Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) worldwide. There are active memberships in 57 countries. As at 31 December 2023 there were 276 active Member Societies (a 12% drop from the previous year) of which 8 are new society members. There were 724 Individual Members (a 36% drop from the previous year) of which 45 were new individual members. The number of Life Members has declined since none have been added since 1997. The decline in membership is due in part to societies losing contact during the global pandemic, individuals and societies not informing ACWW about changing contact details and the financial insecurity which is affecting societies across the globe. Efforts are being made to stimulate interest in ACWW by providing Coordinators with attractive resources to use in local presentations and Board members, especially Area Presidents are following up local contacts and those lapsed in the last year.

All Areas held an in-person, virtual or hybrid Area Conference within the triennium, but none were held in 2023.

ACWW works in three-year cycles in relation to our World Conferences. Due to the impact of the global pandemic from Covid-19, the Special World Conference convened in 2021, postponed the 30[th] Triennial World Conference from 2022 and this took place instead from 17[th] to 23[rd] May 2023, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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30[th] TRIENNIAL WORLD CONFERENCE

The 31[st] Triennial World Conference was a vibrant event superbly hosted by the Women’s Institute Pahang, in the capital of Malaysia. The 453 in-person participants were treated to many examples of Malaysian culture, cuisine and hospitality. A further 70 attended online. We were very honoured that the conference was opened by HM King Abdullah with attendant protocols and musical accompaniment – a new experience for ACWW. Past Area President HM Queen Azizah delivered a warm, heartfelt welcome speech and the Prince Regent presented a keynote address on the topic of the environment. The Hostess Society were gracious and thoughtful throughout and had catered for all needs, despite the change of date and venue. The successful collaboration with the Multi Media University resulted in not only the sessions being filmed but also the social events, and there was a daily bulletin online and on national television.

There were many resolutions on constitutional matters to update the governing document in line with the 202226 Strategic Plan. These are reproduced in the 2023 Constitution available on the website. The audited accounts for the final year of the triennium were added to the website as soon as confirmed by the auditor as draft figures were presented at the Conference.

The 30[th] Triennial World Conference passed the following policy resolutions:

Establishment of Rural Women’s Employment Action Plans : T hat ACWW urges all governments to address the particular needs of rural women by working with women's representative groups to establish, implement and regularly monitor a Women's Employment Action Plan which ensures access to training and education; fair, equitable and safe employment practices; working conditions and remuneration; access to resources such as finance, materials, technology, and land/property and; including but not limited to, advice on career, business and entrepreneurship.

Addressing Food Waste : Be it resolved that ACWW facilitates both action and advocacy on the issue of food waste, recognising that food waste occurs throughout the global food supply chain, and that coordinated action is required to mitigate food loss and wastage at every stage.

Rural Gender Impact Analysis : That the Associated Country Women of the World urge Governments to apply both a Rural impact Analysis and Gender Impact Analysis when considering plans, policies and programmes to ensure the intersectionality of being women and living rurally are taken into account in order to reduce the adverse impact of proposed plans, policies and programmes on rural communities.

Constitution : There were several resolutions passed relating to the Constitution which is now known as the ‘ 2023 Constitution ’ and is available to members via the Website.

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Community Transformation and Grassroots Projects

Our new strategy has seen the launch of a new programme of development projects focusing on: Climate Smart Agriculture, Rural Women’s Health and Education and Community Development, ensuring greater communityled solutions and long-term impact for women most at risk of being left behind. Since 1977 ACWW has funded small-scale grassroots projects, led by local women’s organisations. The new strategy of grant-making under the Rural Women in Action (RWIA) Fund is a continuation of this legacy that builds on the lessons learned through the Women Empowered (WE) Fund (2018-2022) and over the past four decades of project funding. Greater emphasis is now put on the sustainability of each project, long-term impact on the community as a whole, and building the capacity and resilience of the grantee organisation. Whilst the medium and long-term impacts have not yet been proven, initial results are positive and we have seen a greater connection between project output and advocacy impact.

In 2023, the first grants for the Rural Women in Action Fund were awarded to two grantee organisations, along with the final batch of grants for the WE Fund projects which had been approved for funding at the end of 2022. Other project payments included the second instalments for previously agreed grants. The details of these are listed below.

Donors are provided with information on all new funded projects on the ACWW website and in The Countrywoman magazine, along with project profiles and summaries of reports produced throughout the year.

Projects are paid for from unrestricted funds donated to the RWIA Fund. ACWW grant making has an annual budget of £75,000 which funds three core projects of £10,000 and allows an additional £15,000 per project for capacity building of the grantee organisation plus a monitoring & evaluation (M&E) budget for ACWW staff to evaluate the projects. Once approved, 75% of the project grant total is sent to the project awardee, with the final 25% sent subject to satisfactory progress reports (usually 6 months into the project). No evaluation visits took place in the year as focus was put on managing and embedding the new project structure under the new strategy. Evaluation visits are planned for 2024.

Grants awarded

Grants awarded in 2023 with funding instalments sent in 2024

RWIAF001: Geopolitical Alliance of Women, Ukraine. Project title: Planting the Seeds of Peace. Criteria: Education and Community Development.

Grants awarded in 2023 with funding instalments sent in 2023

Pilot project: Sain Tus Development Bridge NGO, Mongolia. Project title: Women’s Empowerment Summit, Mongolia.

Grants awarded in 2022 with funding instalments sent in 2023

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Project Case studies

Women’s Empowerment Summit, Mongolia . A co-designed project between ACWW and Sain Tus Development Bridge NGO part-funded by the UNESCO Participation Programme. In 2022, ACWW in collaboration with Sain Tus applied for a UNESCO Participation Programme grant to facilitate a two-and-a-half-day workshop in Khovd Province, Western Mongolia. The Summit involved 323 nomadic herdswomen, from 16 Indigenous ethnic groups, as well as 5 men. All the women are survivors of domestic violence and living in the most fragile of circumstances. Our objective was to support these women in building their resilience and capacity, with indigenous women participating as community leaders, sharing knowledge, learning from each other, and developing their advocacy skills. We also wanted to build the capacity of Sain Tus to deliver their annual programmes. The programme expanded on the impact of a previous domestic violence project, enabling women from nomadic communities to participate. With two and a half days of training workshops, presentations, small group work, and data collection surveys, the Summit was tailored to the specific needs of participants, whilst

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aligning with ACWW’s strategic focus on Indigenous communities, women’s health, community transformation, grassroots projects and advocacy, and meet our commitment to numerous of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Project 1132 Ensuring Seed Security through Community Seed Banks – Ntengwe for Community Development, Zimbabwe . Ntengwe for Community Development is a long-time member of ACWW and this was their second project that has received funding. Ntengwe works with grassroots women, youth and indigenous peoples to improve gender equality and empower all women and girls within the contexts of climate change, policy, and women's economic empowerment. This project was designed to support community seed banks as a sustainable way to improve access to high-value seeds, creating viable community-based businesses and maintaining biodiversity, as well as contribute to farmer-led adaptation to climate change, and indirectly enhance household income diversification, community climate-smart seed systems and gender outcomes in three wards in Hwange district, Zimbabwe. The project reached over 1,000 beneficiaries improving food security by 60% and enhancing crop yields among participant farmers by 70% using improved seed system interventions.

Communication with Members

ACWW communicates with the public using our website, social media channels, and with statements. Our website also offers the opportunity for people to join a mailing list and so receive newsletters from Central Office and the World President. Members receive The Countrywoman Magazine, as well as digital newsletters from the World President and Area Presidents. These communications are distributed by ACWW Central Office.

In 2023 the World President added to her regular newsletters with live webinars and updates for Members, several in the form of ‘Afternoon Tea with the World President’ and also with briefings ahead of the Triennial World Conference. These were duplicated for different time zones. Several videos were published to mark significant days, such as the International Day of Rural Women.

With the departure of ACWW’s Communications Officer in April 2023, and with the Triennial World Conference and new Triennium dominating staff time, there was a reduction in the regularity of social media posting and external communication, which continued throughout the year. Recruitment for a new Communications Officer is to be prioritised in 2024.

ACWW publishes The Countrywoman magazine which is circulated globally to our Members and supporters. We use Forest Stewardship Council approved sustainable paper for both the magazine and its packaging. In 2023, only one printed copy of the magazine was produced, with online updates and newsletters intended to address the gap. This was not an intentional choice, but a reality of reduced Central Office staffing. In 2024, ACWW will return to producing two printed editions per year. Print costs remain competitively low as printed by a small family business in a rural location in the UK. However, the greatest and ever-increasing cost is the global postage and distribution.

Advocacy

The amplification of our members’ voices has been a crucial part of ACWW’s mission since foundation in 1929. A major element of our centrally-organised advocacy work continues to be engagement with the United Nations and its Agencies and Organisations, where we hold Consultative Status or have the opportunity to make intervention. Whilst some specific highlights of our advocacy work are shown below, the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan calls for advocacy and projects to be much more closely aligned, with our projects informing our advocacy work, and our advocacy seeking to strengthen the impact of our projects.

ACWW has continued to use global campaigns such as the 16 Days of Global Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25 November-10 December each year) and international days like International Women’s Day (8 March) and International Day of Rural Women (15 October) as ‘hook’ days for advocacy and raising awareness of our work.

In March 2023, ACWW attended the 67[th] Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), with a delegation including World President Magdie de Kock, UN Committee Chairman Marie Kenny, Executive Director Tish Collins and Advocacy Director Nick Newland. Several Board and ACWW Committee members also attended at their own expense, along with two sponsored Member attendees; Judith Juma from the Social Justice League in Kenya, and Tugrug Uugan-Erdene from Sain Tus Development Bridge in Mongolia.

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

During CSW, ACWW hosted four events to highlight our work and influence policy-makers. ‘Rural Youth for Action’ was an online event focused on reviewing implementation of the previously Agreed Conclusions which focused on rural women. ‘Rural Women as Agents of Change’ included ACWW members from Kenya and Mongolia as well as Hon. Natalie Jameson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning & the Status of Women, from Prince Edward Island, Canada. ‘The Ocean, Indigenous Languages, and Rural Communities’ followed up on ACWW’s hosting of the 13[th] International Forum of NGOs in Official Partnership with UNESCO in November 2022. ‘Rural Women’s Role in Natural Resource Governance’ examined rural women’s participation in the UN Decade of Family Farming, International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, and Ocean Decade. Audiences in person in New York included Ministers, Government delegation members, and senior leadership from UNESCO and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, as well as significant numbers of rural women from more than twenty countries in person and online.

In October 2023, ACWW agreed with UNESCO to launch a new podcast project in March 2024. This project will focus on women’s leadership and be co-hosted and co-funded by ACWW and UNESCO, with guests from around the world. A small investment was made in equipment to support recording content for the podcast, allowing for field interviews with ACWW members and other women leaders. This collaboration further built upon ACWW’s efforts to strengthen the relationship with UNESCO, which included funding the ACWW project in Mongolia noted above, and the election of ACWW Advocacy Director Nick Newland as President of the NGOUNESCO Liaison Committee.

As part of ACWW’s Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, we have the right to designate representation at UN Headquarters and Offices. In 2023, ACWW designated Trustee and Board Lead for Partnerships Claire Mahon to the UN Office in Geneva to facilitate representation to the Human Rights Council; World President Magdie de Kock, UN Chairman (until retirement of this role) Marie Kenny, Executive Director Tish Collins, and Advocacy Director Nick Newland were designated at UN Headquarters in New York.

In late 2023 it was agreed that a formal Advocacy Strategy would be built in 2024 to consolidate efforts and results and allow ACWW to focus on implementing the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan with Central Office-led, Boardled, and Member-led advocacy globally.

Partnerships

In late 2022, given the geographic distribution of ACWW Board Members, it was decided to hold the January 2023 Board Meeting in Ottawa, Canada. As part of negotiations around the forthcoming 2026 Triennial World Conference, Air Canada confirmed an 18% discount for flights for Board Members for this meeting, and in addition discount codes for members attending the 2026 Conference of at least 10%, with carbon offsetting included.

As noted above, funding for a Women’s Empowerment Summit was secured from UNESCO following submission of a funding application compiled by Central Office Staff. In November 2023 ACWW was awarded the prestigious Incredible Impacts Award by ICCA and Best Cities acknowledging the success of the Summit in Mongolia.

Financial Review 2023

Income from donations and legacies held firm, showing a slight uplift helped by the legacy received. Income from charitable activities was boosted as expected by sales from registrations to attend the Triennial World Conference. The fees were sufficient to cover the direct costs of the Conference.

The impact of the ongoing costs of living crisis contributed to an overall increase in expenditure. This was seen in costs such as logistics for the Triennial World Conference, rent and overheads for which cost saving measures were applied wherever possible.

ACWW investments managed by Close Brothers were found to have held up well, yielding a gain of £82,458. Given the decline in the capital value of the CAF Fixed Interest Account and its subsequent disposal, the move to reinvesting in Close Brothers proved beneficial.

Overall expenditure exceeded income and hence movement in funds was a loss of £378,330 (2022: loss of £590,240). Plans are in motion to diversify and boost income sources with dedicated fundraising and communications.

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Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

Trustees' responsibilities statement

The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales, the Charities Act 2011, Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

This report was approved by the trustees on Date: 27 August 2024

Signed on behalf of the trustees:

Mrs Magdie de Kock World President

14

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Associated Country Women of the World (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 December 2023 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

15

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)

TO THE TRUSTEES OF ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of responsibilities, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the either intend to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities . This description forms part of our auditor's report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 391 of the Companies Act 2014. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Sean G. Cavanagh (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of SCC Chartered Accountants Ltd

27/08/2024

Date .........................

Chartered Accountants Statutory Auditor 17 College Street Armagh BT61 9BT

SCC Chartered Accountants Ltd is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

16

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

THE ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
2023
2023
Notes
£
£
Income from:
Donations and legacies
2
231,334
-
Charitable activities
3
448,037
-
Investments
67,760
-
Total income
747,131
-
Expenditure on:
Raising funds
4
10,186
-
Charitable activities
5
1,112,624
85,109
Total expenditure
1,122,810
85,109
Net gains/(losses) on
investments
82,458
-
Net expenditure and
movement in funds
(293,221)
(85,109)
Reconciliation of
funds:
Fund balances at 1
January2023
2,068,988
285,663
Fund balances at 31
December 2023
1,775,766
200,554		 Total
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
2023
2022
2022
£
£
£
231,334
198,936
-
448,037
10,810
74,537
67,760
86,069
-
747,131
295,815
74,537
10,186
10,720
-
1,197,733
551,683
63,073
1,207,919
562,403
63,073
82,458
(335,116)
-
(378,330)
(601,704)
11,464
2,354,651
2,670,692
274,199
1,976,320
2,068,988
285,663		 Total
2022
£
198,936
85,347
86,069
370,352
10,720
614,756
625,476
(335,116)		 Total
2022
£
198,936
85,347
86,069
370,352
10,720
614,756

625,476

(590,240)
2,944,891

2,354,651

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The notes on pages 20 to 29 form part of these financial statements

17

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2023

Charity No. 1174798

Notes
£
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
6
Investments
7
Current assets
Debtors
8
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due
within one year
9
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due
after more than one year
10
Net assets excluding pension
liability
Net assets
The funds of the
Restricted income funds
12
Unrestricted funds
13		 2023
£
28,224
140,354
168,578
(85,255)		 £
9,764
1,883,233
1,892,997
83,323
1,976,320
-
1,976,320
1,976,320
200,554
1,775,766
1,976,320		 2022
£
55,621
515,528
571,149
(423,131)		 8,554
2,225,834

2,234,388
148,018
2,382,406
(27,755)
2,354,651

2,354,651
285,663
2,068,988

2,354,651

The financial statements were approved by the Board on ..27 August........... ....2024.......... and signed on their behalf by:

…………………………………….

Angela Cassels Honorary Treasurer

………………………………… Magdie de Kock World President

The notes on pages 20 to 29 form part of these financial statements

18

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

2023
Notes
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash (absorbed by)/generated from
operations
Investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Proceeds from disposal of tangible fixed
assets
Proceeds from disposal of investments
Investment income received
Net cash generated from investing
activities
Net cash used in financing activities
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash
equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of
year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year		 2022
£
£
£
(519,278)
(7,364)
-
1,250
-
82,458
210,546
67,760
86,069
144,104
-
(375,174)
515,528
140,354		 21,738
296,615
-
318,353
197,175

515,528

19

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issues on 16 July 2014 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

The Associated Country Women of the World meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note(s).

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of ACWW. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and to include certain financial instruments at fair value. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the Charity has a reasonable expectation that there are adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Charity continues to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3 Income

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is entitled to the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

Voluntary income including donations and grants, membership subscriptions and legacies are included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable. Grants, where entitlement is not conditional on the delivery of a specific performance by the charity, are recognised when the charity becomes unconditionally entitled to the grant.

Legacies are included when the charity is advised by the personal representative of an estate that payment will be made and the amount involved can be quantified.

Investment income plus associated tax recoverable is credited to income on an accruals basis, using dates of payment for dividends, and daily accrual for interest.

20

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.4 Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

All expenditure is accounted for on an accrual basis. All expenses including support costs are allocated or apportioned to applicable expenditure headings. All costs are allocated between the expenditure categories noted on the Statement of Financial Activities on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resource. Costs relating to a particular activity are allocated directly, other are allocated directly, others are apportioned on an appropriate basis, for example, time spent, per capita or floor area.

The value of services provided by volunteers is not incorporated into these financial statements. Further details of the contribution made by volunteers can be found in the Trustee's Annual Report.

Grants payable are included in the Statement of Financial Activities when approved by the trustees and agreed with the beneficiary. Grants where the beneficiary has not been informed or has to meet certain conditions before the grant is released are not accrued but are noted as financial commitments.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.

1.5 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 values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Fixtures and fittings

5 years 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.

1.6 Investments

Investments are a form of basic financial instrument and are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.

All gains and losses are taken to the Statement of Financial Activities as they arise. Realised gains and losses on investments are calculated as the difference between sale proceeds and opening market value (purchase date if later). Unrealised gains and losses are calculated as the difference between the market value at the year end and opening market value (or purchase date if later).

21

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.7 Debtors and Creditors Receivable / Payable within one year

Debtors and creditors with no stated interest rate and receivable or payable within one year are recorded at transaction price. Any losses arising from impairment are recognised in expenditure.

1.8 Foreign Currencies

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Balances stated in foreign currencies are translated at the rate of exchange prevailing at the year end.

1.9 Funds Accounting

Restricted funds - these are funds that can only be used for specific restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Designated funds - these are funds set aside by the trustees out of unrestricted general funds for specific future purposes or projects.

Unrestricted general funds - these are funds which can be used in accordance with the charitable objects at the discretion of the trustees.

2 Income from membership, donations and legacies

Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds
2023 2022
£ £
Donations and gifts 166,540 151,638
Legacies receivable 30,028 11,598
Membership subscriptions 34,766 35,700
231,334 198,936

3 Income from charitable activities

Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
2023
£
2023
£
Sale of goods
Conference
income
399,800
-
Other income
48,237
-
Total
418,982
-		 Total
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
2023
£
2022
£
2022
£
399,800
-
-
48,237
10,810
74,537
448,037
10,810
74,537		 Total
2022
£
-
87,347
85,347

22

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

4 Expenditure on raising funds

Investment management

Unrestricted Unrestricted
funds funds
2023 2022
£ £
10,186 10,720

5 Expenditure on charitable activities

Staff and Direct
Costs 2023
Support Costs
2023
£
£
Charitable activities:
Project Activities
156,303
19,744
Education
75,372
12,722
Outreach
149,787
15,877
Information & Research
122,871
24,833
United Nations
Representation
122,920
12,722
Conference Preparation
-
Direct costs (389,360)
-
Staff costs (79,346)
468,706
15,877
1,095,959
101,775
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds		 Total
2023
Staff and
Direct Costs
2022
£
176,045
120,878
88,094
58,504
165,664
108,302
147,704
71,480
135,642
73,136
484,583
49,310
1,197,732
481,611
1,112,624
85,109
1,197,733		 Support
Costs
2022
£
36,219
15,802
46,671
20,186
13,152
1,116
133,145
551,683
63,073
614,756

This table represents an apportionment of resources expended on each of the charitable activities. It is comprised of staff and direct costs, and support costs for a percentage of office space, utilities, materials used, bookkeeping, generation of publicity materials, website presentation, generation of forms and postage.

Project activities: The project administrators work on projects and handle all communication concerning applications for funding, administering the work of the previous Projects Committee and the Community Transformation & Projects Working Group and communicating with donors. Restricted funds shown cover the direct costs allocated to project grants and an allocation for monitoring and evaluation. Support costs were expended from unrestricted funds in 2023.

Education: Includes production and provision of resources in support of charity policies and mandates and some targeted advocacy work.

Outreach: Includes outreach and extension work by members of the Board and key staff, plus resources associated with promoting the charity.

23

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

5 Expenditure on charitable activities (continued)

Information and research: Includes the costs of producing The Countrywoman magazine, the annual report, production of information, advocacy materials, publicity leaflets, designing and maintaining the website, time and postage distributing publicity materials, responding to enquiries, administering Working Groups and maintenance of the archive.

United Nations representation: Includes subscriptions to international bodies, attendance at some international meetings, administering the former United Nations Committee and the Advocacy Working Group.

Conference Preparation: The Triennial World Conference budget is set for estimated income from registration to sufficiently cover direct costs. Income from registration fees for the Conference totalled £399,800, compared with direct costs related to the Conference of £389,360, resulting in net Conference surplus of £10,440

The basis of allocation of staff and support costs was reviewed and updated to reflect the time spent on each charitable activity by the Executive Director and other members of staff of the charity. Support costs shown above include an apportionment of governance costs, except in the case of Project activities.

5.1 Governance Costs

Auditors’ remuneration – for audit
- for other services
Legal and professional
Trustee indemnity insurance
Other governance
5.2
Staff Costs
Salaries and wages
Social security costs
Other pension costs
Other costs		 2023
£
8,796
1,066
3,349
344
1,032
14,587
2023
£
319,686
35,161
18,016
4,223
377,086		 2022
£
6,580
750
2,717
1,021
504
11,572
2022
£
282,128
25,881
12,877
2,128
323,014		 2022
£
6,580
750
2,717
1,021
504
11,572

The key management personnel comprise the Trustees, who received no remuneration or other financial benefits during the year (2022: nil) and the Executive Director, Advocacy Director and Finance Manager whose emoluments totalled £209,134 (2022: £171,747).

The Trustees were reimbursed a total of £51,640 for travelling and accommodation expenses (2022: £47,505).

The Charity employed on average 7 staff during the year at Central Office (2022:8) There were 2 employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000 (2022: 2).

24

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

6 Tangible fixed assets

6
Tangible fixed assets
Cost
At 1 January 2023
Additions
Disposals
At 31 December 2023
Depreciation and impairment
At 1 January 2023
Depreciation charged in the year
Eliminated in respect of disposals
At 31 December 2023
Carrying amount
At 31 December 2023
At 31 December 2022
7
Investments
At 1 January 2023
Additions
Net investment gains
Disposal proceeds
At 31 December 2023
Analysis of investments:
Fixed interest securities – UK
Equity – UK
Equity – overseas
Commodities
Property
Alternatives
Cash
CAF Income Fund
Capital Account Balance
Total		 Fixtures and
fittings
£
55,060
7,364
(2,551)
59,873
46,506
4,904
(1,301)
50,109
9,764
8,554
£
2,225,834
595,543
82,458
(1,020,602)
1,883,233
2023
2022
294,550
232,499
465,774
463,547
708,551
417,156
48,616
45,462
52,140
51,250
250,234
288,029
63,367
11,721
-
707,050
-
9,120
1,883,233
2,225,834

1,883,233
2022
232,499
463,547
417,156
45,462
51,250
288,029
11,721
707,050
9,120
2,225,834

CAF closed its Fixed Income Fund accounts in 2023 and majority of the funds were added to investments with Close Brothers.

25

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

8
Debtors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
9
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Notes
Other taxation and social security
Deferred income
11
Other creditors
Project commitments
Accruals and deferred income		 2023
£
17,972
10,252
28,224
2023
£
5,316
47,059
9,202
13,230
10,448
85,255		 2022
£
14,044
41,577
55,621
2022
£
8,716
372,923
7,038
14,287
20,167
423,131		 2022
£
14,044
41,577

55,621

The Projects Committee met towards the end of 2022 and grants approved by the Board were paid in 2023. Grant commitments include second instalments due to projects approved in 2023, subject to a satisfactory interim report and any first instalments not yet sent where applicable.

10 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

2023
Notes
£
Deferred income
11
-		 2022
£
27,755

26

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

11
Deferred income
Other deferred income
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
Deferred income is included within
Deferred income including TWC income
due within the year
Deferred income due after one year		 2023
£
47,059
2023
£
13,130
33,929
47,059		 2022
£
400,678
2022
£
372,923
27,755
400,678		 2022
£
400,678

£355,615 of deferred income in 2022 related to Triennial World Conference. All other deferred income relate to membership subscriptions.

12 Restricted funds

Project Funds
Conference Sponsorship Fund
Lady Aberdeen Scholarship Fund
Elise Zimmern Memorial Fund
Nutrition Educational Fund		 At 1
January
2023
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
At 31
December
2023
£
£
£
142,325
-
(85,109)
57,216
488
-
-
488
46,162
-
-
46,162
8,240
-
-
8,240
88,448
-
-
88,448
285,663
-
(85,109)
200,554

27

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

12
Restricted funds
Restricted funds – prior year
Project Funds
Conference Sponsorship Fund
Lady Aberdeen Scholarship Fund
Elise Zimmern Memorial Fund
Nutrition Educational Fund		 (continued)
At 1
January
2022
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
At 31
December
2022
£
£
£
132,278
73,120
(63,073)
142,325
488
-
-
488
44,745
1,417
-
46,162
8,240
-
-
8,240
88,448
-
-
88,448
274,199
74,537
(63,073)
285,663

Restricted funds are subject to specific conditions imposed by donors or by the specific terms of the Charity appeal, both of which are binding on the Trustees.

The Project funds represent balance of the WE Fund which was closed to donations in June 2022. The balance beyond commitments to WE Fund projects finishing up in 2023 will be spent on project monitoring and evaluation activities. The Strategic Plan 2022-2026 specifies the type of projects to be funded from the Rural Women in Action Fund which is an unrestricted fund.

13
Unrestricted funds
At 1 January
2023
Incoming
resources
£
£
Unrestricted
1,764,293
718,076
Designated funds
Margaret Pollock
Fund
105,330
-
Conference
Contingency Fund
15,000
-
Office Relocation &
Maintenance Fund
142,569
-
IFRW Fund
41,796
-
South Pacific Support
Fund
-
29,055
Total
2,068,988
747,131		 Resources
expended
Gains and
losses
At 31
December
2023
£
£
£
(1,084,823)
82,458
1,480,004
-
-
105,330
-
-
15,000
(29,500)
-
113,069
(8,487)
-
33,309
-
-
29,055
(1,122,810)
82,458
1,775,766

28

Associated Country Women of the World – Annual Report 2023

ASSOCIATED COUNTRY WOMEN OF THE WORLD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023

13
Unrestricted funds		 (continued)
Previous year
At 1 January Incoming Resources Gains and At 31
2022 resources expended losses December
2022
£ £ £ £ £
Unrestricted 2,372,901 287,475 (560,967) (335,116) 1,764,293
Designated funds
Margaret Pollock 105,330 - - - 105,330
Fund
Conference 15,000 - - - 15,000
Contingency Fund
Office Relocation & 142,569 - - - 142,569
Maintenance Fund
IFRW Fund 34,892 8,340 (1,436) - 41,796
Total 2,670,692 295,815 (562,403) (335,116) 2,068,988

The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.

The Margaret Pollock Fund, set up with the proceeds of a substantial legacy received in 1994, has been designated by the Trustees as a capital fund for the time being. The income accruing to this fund is available for general purposes.

The Conference Contingency Fund was provided by the 1992 conference host society to offset unusual costs of future conferences, to be used at the discretion of the Trustees.

The Office Relocation and Maintenance Fund was set up in 2019 by transferring the historic Relocation Fund (residue), the Leasehold Sink Fund of 1 January 1999, the Equipment Reserve Fund and Building Maintenance Fund (residue) from general unrestricted funds.

The IFRW Fund relates to the International Forum for Rural Women and the Global Survey of Rural Women set up in the year from legacy income received in 2018, 2019 and a specific donation. The intention is that the survey should be reviewed and repeated on a triennial basis for the foreseeable future. The balance will be spent on the continuing costs of surveys and data analysis.

The South Pacific Support Fund relates to the balance from funds raised by members in the area transferred to Central Office, to support specific activities for the area.

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