Agora Annual Return (2022)
Charity #: 1176974 Voted on 28 September 2023
Trustee annual report
Agora began a new phase of its development in 2022, with the first year of a new 24month strategy (covering Y5-6 of the think tank’s life). Our three core, strategic areas of focus for these two years are: amplifying Agora's impact, increasing funding, and ensuring consistent content and event output. All of these are to be underpinned by an overarching goal of growing our membership base. Our belief is that this can be done as we adjust our offering to cater to the needs and preferences of our members and wider audience of participants in the postpandemic world.
The structure of the think tank remained the same. Our Executive Committee (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer) provided leadership and set agendas, informed by a strategy co-decided by the Board of Trustees. The organisation’s Council is in charge of operational delivery.
Our regional branches in London, Northern Ireland, the South West, and the South East grew and gained momentum. This expansion was complemented by the restarting our Policy & Pints monthly community events series which run concurrently in all four locations. There are early signs of a group establishing itself in Scotland. A longer term aim of the organisation is to gradually expand to have a regional branch in each of the UK’s 12 regions.
Agora remains a committed member of the Open Think Tank Network, collaborating with think tanks across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to foster cross-border research and initiatives.
In 2022 we expanded our paid internship programme from one to three interns, taking students from two top UK universities. Following our internship programmes, we were honoured to be listed as the LSE Volunteer Organisation of the Year. Agora representatives participated in a number of university events too, often run by career departments.
Agora participated in a cultural festival for the first time, hosting a panel event at ImagineBelfast. We also used events as a way to broaden our stakeholder engagement, such as a collaborative project with the Swiss Embassy at the University of Oxford.
The think tank’s membership grew slightly over the course of the year. We were able to hold a first members’ Summery Symposium event in London to celebrate and consolidate our community of international affairs enthusiasts.
Our social media presence remained steady and we sent out quarterly newsletters.
We look forward to 2023 with energy and enthusiasm.
Accounts
Financial activities
| Revenue (£) | Revenue (£) | Expenses (£) | Expenses (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Value | Item | Value |
| Membership fees | 1180 | Wages | 1330 |
| University funding | 1260 | IT services | 86.2 |
| Donations | 30 | Banking fees | 37.6 |
| Events | 146.4 | ||
| Total | 2470 | Total | 1600.20 |
Net income (£)
869.80
Balance sheet
| (£) | |
|---|---|
| Carried over from previous financial period | 2369.38 |
| Revenue | 2470 |
| Expenses | 1600.20 |
| Total assets at financial period end | 3239.18 |