ecEASE ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2022/23
02 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
CONTENTS
| FOREWORD | 5 |
|---|---|
| ABOUT US | 7 |
| ACHIEVEMENTS | 8 |
| STRATEGY 2023-2025: AT A GLANCE 10 | |
| FINANCIAL STATEMENT | |
| AND ACCOUNTS | 13 |
CEASE is the working name of CEASE UK Charity registration number: 1182515
Imagery: stock images posed by models for illustrative purposes on ly.
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%04 1 Annual Report 2ndACllts 2022123
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FOREWORD
by the Chair of Trustees, Naomi Miles
It has been a joy this year to see how CEASE has come into its own. We have been perfectly placed to lobby the government during the Online Safety Bill’s passage through parliament on the issue of online pornography.
This Bill represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring about effective regulation to the online pornography industry, which has largely escaped public scrutiny in the UK. Our focus has been the demand for robust age verification measures to prevent children’s free and easy access to pornography on both dedicated websites and on social media. We have also been campaigning for more effective processes to prevent the proliferation of illegal and harmful content (such as child sexual abuse material, image-based sexual abuse and other non-consensual material), as well as highlighting the discrepancy in the regulation of online and offline pornography.
We had the privilege of leading a small coalition of expert individuals and charities committed to the swift introduction of age verification measures for pornography sites. Holding the government to account is a crucial part of what we do.
Working in collaboration with Barnardo’s and with the help of CARE and other experts, we crafted numerous amendments to the Bill and were pleased that each one was tabled by MPs and mentioned in debates.
We are painfully aware that the experiences we have heard from survivors about the harms of pornography are only the tip of the iceberg. Some stories are scattered in forums across the internet and others have not yet been told. That is why we set up a new website, Expose the Harm: a forum that gathers the stories of all those who have been negatively impacted by pornography in some way. It is high time that society woke up to the physical, psychological and relational damage being done by online pornography and that governments and policy makers acknowledge and act upon the urgent need for intervention and industry regulation.
The battle is ongoing. Too many people remain under the illusion that pornography is “harmless fun”, blind to the ways in which it drives sexual exploitation and abuse. With so few organisations representing this issue, we are acutely aware that we carry a huge weight of responsibility. Thank you for sharing that load with us.
Naomi Miles, Founder and Chair of CEASE
Over the course of several months, we have been able to scrutinise the Online Safety Bill, giving feedback and making recommendations for improvement to the pre-legislative scrutiny committee.
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TRUSTEES REPORT
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ABOUT US
OUR VISION
We want to see a world without sexual exploitation.
OUR MISSION
To expose and dismantle the cultural and commercial driving forces behind all forms of sexual exploitation in the UK.
OUR VALUES
We work with:
Integrity
Optimism
Although the work is hard, the tide is beginning to turn. We are absolutely confident we’ll see and be part of significant change in the coming years. Though issues we work on will not be solved today or tomorrow, we work with hope and courage, and have the stamina to stay the course for as long as it takes.
What you see is what you get with us. As people and as an organisation, we act with integrity in everything we do.
Equality
We believe in the essential dignity and value of every person. That means we strive to amplify the voices of those who are most impacted by sexual exploitation, who are often also the least heard. We aim to hear and understand perspectives of people who disagree with us and engage with them thoughtfully.
Openness
We welcome anyone to the movement to end sexual exploitation regardless of age, sex, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, class, belief or ability. We partner with organisations and individuals who share our stance on sexual exploitation, regardless of their background. We build bridges across political, ideological, religious, national and cultural lines, to create a stronger collective call for change.
Integration
We always place sexual exploitation within the widest possible cultural and commercial contexts. We look at what is causing sexual exploitation, following the path upstream until we identify the largest, most powerful drivers.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The objectives and activities undertaken by the charity are set with the public benefit in mind. The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
08 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
ACHIEVEMENTS
This year we…
Shaped legislation through our campaigning work on the Online Safety Bill 1 Evidenced the damage done by pornography through launching Exposetheharm.com 2
Strengthened CEASE by creating two senior role ~~s in~~ policy and communicati ~~ons~~ 3
SHAPING LEGISLATION
Open letter
In the summer of 2022, in the wake of Boris Johnson’s resignation as Prime Minister and the ensuing delay to the Online Safety Bill, we wrote an open letter to the government urging them to prioritise work on the Bill once the new prime minister was in place. The letter gathered over 150 diverse signatories from peers, academics, campaigners, survivors, charities and individuals all sharing our conviction that children must be protected from online pornography. We also created template letters for the public to email their MP asking them to show their support for the Bill.
Parliamentary event
In November 2022, CEASE and Barnardo’s held an event at the House of Lords called ‘Pornography and the Online Safety Bill: Is the OSB doing enough to protect children from the harms of online pornography?’ The event, sponsored by Lord Bethell, was attended by MPs, peers, and various other stakeholders such as Ofcom, the BBFC and the Children’s Commissioner’s Office. Evidence from the panel of experts was preceded by the testimony of a man who had encountered pornography at the age of 10 and had become addicted. Talking about a particularly troubling incident, he shared:
The video seemed to depict two women being raped. No, it hadn’t depicted rape. I think they were raped. I think I knew this at the time deep down. I remember the horror in their faces. They cried. They looked broken. And I’d watched it.
I’m still processing the event now and the effects of it aren’t yet fully clear to me. But this is not a video that anyone – let alone a thirteen-year-old – should have been able to stumble across. In any filmed material, a viewer can feel as though they’re immersed in what’s going on. Did I? And if so as a perpetrator or as a victim? Or even simply as a by-stander who couldn’t look away or stop what was happening?
When I look at myself in the mirror and feel an acute sense of embarrassment, guilt and shame, is this why? It seems logical that this event has at least contributed to that. It’s not a good place for any person to be in.
In April [2022], the Children’s Commissioner said that ‘we’ll look back in 20 years and be absolutely stunned that our children were exposed to so much harm online’. We don’t need to wait that long – I stand before you as a living, breathing example.
I can, to an extent, forgive the responsible adults and lawmakers who were running the show as I was growing up – the internet was exploding rapidly and there were lots of changes to contend and catch-up with.
I am, however, slightly more reluctant to forgive those in the present day – the dangers have been clear for a long time now and action has been too slow.”
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Drafting amendments
Following the House of Lords event, we convened a coalition of like-minded organisations and individual experts to re-draft Part 5 of the Online Safety Bill which would create more robust, speedier regulations on age verification for online pornography and bring parity to the regulation on online and offline pornographic content. This was tabled by Lord Bethell during the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords where 27 peers spoke on the need for age verification for pornography and supported our amendments.
SHOWING THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM
In June 2022 we launched a new website for people to share, safely and anonymously, how pornography has harmed them. Expose The Harm gives a voice to the thousands of men, women and children whose lives have been negatively impacted either directly or indirectly.
More and more people are waking up to the impact of pornography on their physical and mental health and relationships. These harms are increasingly hard to deny and include:
- Sexual health practitioners and GPs are reporting increasing rates of young men seeking help for pornography and sex addiction and pornographyinduced erectile dysfunction (PIED).
RECOGNISED AS EXPERTS
In May 2022, the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) hosted a symposium in Washington DC, USA, on ‘Child Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking, and the Pornography Industry: Toxic Online Criminality’. CEASE was invited to give an insight into our work campaigning for the inclusion of age verification in the Online Safety Bill.
In June 2022, as part of the UK government’s inquiry into pornography and its impact on violence against women and girls, our Chief Executive, Vanessa Morse, was invited to give evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee on the links between pornography and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours.
STRENGTHENING CEASE
We recruited two new members of staff into senior leadership roles. Jo Black became our Head of Communications leading on brand and reputation, digital and social media presence, media relations, and marketing. Gemma Kelly became our Head of Policy and Public Affairs leading on political engagement, legislative advocacy and campaigning.
Our three-year organisational strategy was developed and signed off by the CEASE board and is underpinned by three-year strategies for communications and policy and public affairs.
-
Charities such as Barnardo’s are identifying pornography as both driving children’s harmful sexual behaviour and increasing vulnerability to abuse.
-
Police and child sexual abuse experts are noting the increasing trend for young men to acquire an interest in child sexual abuse material via the route of mainstream pornography.
-
In its 2021 review, Ofsted described the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence in English schools, which are often so normalised that pupils fail to report it.
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The website Everyone’s Invited has collected over 50,000 stories from girls and young women who have experienced “rape culture” at schools and universities.
www.ExposeTheHarm.com
10 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
STRATEGY 2023-2025: AT A GLANCE
~~Our vision:~~
We want to see a world without sexual exploitation.
~~Our mission:~~
We expose and dismantle the cultural and commercial driving forces behind all forms of sexual exploitation in the UK.
~~Our values:~~
Optimism | Openness | Integrity | Equality | Integration
Our strategic priorities:
Our strategic objectives:
-
Expose the harms of 2. Disrupt the business 3. Strengthen CEASE online pornography model of the online to become a leading and pornified pornography national charity in cultured industry the fight against sexual exploitation
-
Educate on direct/ 1. Legislative advocacy 1. Expand income indirect harms of to bring regulation streams pornography of me/ 2. Convene and 2. Develop our Board
them/us collaborate with and strengthen our
- Raise awareness experts Governance of harms of 3. Engage those who 3. Develop strategic
pornography facilitate, host and partnerships
- Gather and amplify profit from online 4. Base work on current
voices pornography and comprehensive
- SE 101: Show people 4. Strategic legal action practice, research, how pornography insights and lived and sexual experience of sexual exploitation are exploitation linked
~~Our enablers:~~
We will enable success by:
-
harnessing current cultural momentum in order to amplify the harms of pornography to an increasingly receptive society.
-
building our credibility, visibility and trustworthiness among our stakeholders.
-
gathering and amplifying the voices and stories of survivors of sexual exploitation.
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12 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
Reference and Administrative Details
The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on page 11 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 their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland published on 16 July 2014.
Trustees
N R Miles J C Miles J Heys O Scutt K Smith (nee Edwards) (appointed 12/12/22)
Chief Executive Officer
V Morse
Charity Registration Number
1182515
Bankers
HSBC Bank PLC 56 Queen Street Cardiff CF10 2PX
Independent Examiner
D C S Cooke MA (Oxon) FCA FCIE David Cooke & Co Chartered Accountants 5 Briar Close Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 9DS
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FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND ACCOUNTS
14 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The total income for the year was £166,682 (2022: £155,975) of which all £166,682 were donations. At the end of the year CEASE UK had net assets of £85,959 including £50,000 designated by the Trustees as General (Unrestricted) Reserves.
RESERVES
The trustees have designated funds from unrestricted funds which are set aside for unforeseen expenditure and specific costs. There were no restricted funds during or at the end of the year. The unrestricted general fund will be used for charitable expenditure and general administrative charity expenditure. All of the reserves were available in the bank balance at the year end.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Nature of governing document
CEASE UK is a charitable incorporated organisation governed by its Constitution dated 15 March 2019 and administered by its trustees. It is registered with the Charity Commission.
Recruitment and appointment of trustees
The trustees meet or search out new trustees from the public and inform the Board of Trustees who then meet and interview the prospective member. The trustee must have the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
FUNDS HELD AS CUSTODIAN TRUSTEE
The charity and trustees did not act as custodian trustees in the year.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 20 November 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
NR Miles Chair and Trustee
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
to the Trustees of CEASE UK
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 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)(b) of the Act
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
The accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
-
The accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
-
The accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the dorm and content of the accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
D C S Cooke MA (Oxon) FCA FCIE David Cooke & Co Chartered Accountants 5 Briar Close Banbury Oxon OX16 9DS
Date: 12 December 2023
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
for the Year Ended 31 March 2023 (Including Income and Expenditure Account)
| Income | Notes | Unrestricted General Funds Designated Funds Total 2023 Total 2022 £ £ £ £ |
|---|---|---|
| Donations | 2 | 166,682 - 166,682 155,975 |
| Other income | - - - - |
|
| Total income | 166,682 - 166,682 155,975 |
|
| Expenditure | ||
| Fundraising | 3,413 - 3,413 - |
|
| Charitable Activities | 3 | 157,073 - 157,073 152,797 |
| Support Activities | 4 | 11,520 - 11,520 9,933 |
| Total Expenditure | 172,006 - 172,006 162,730 |
|
| Net income/(expenditure) | (5,324) - (5,324) (6,755) |
|
| Transfers between Funds | - - - - |
|
| Net movement in funds | (5,324) - (5,324) (6,755) |
|
| Total Funds brought forward | 91,283 - 91,283 98,038 |
|
| Total Funds carried forward | 85,959 - 85,959 91,283 |
18 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
BALANCE SHEET
as at 31 March 2023
| Unrestricted Designated Total |
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| General Funds Funds 2023 |
2022 | ||
| Fixed Assets | Notes | £ £ £ |
£ |
| Tangible assets | 5 | 1,001 - 1,001 |
650 |
| Current Assets | |||
| Debtors | 6 | 1,392 - 1,392 |
1,148 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 91,084 - 91,084 |
98,263 | |
| 92,476 - 92,476 |
99,411 | ||
| Creditors:Amounts falling due within one year |
7 | 7,518 - 7,518 |
8,778 |
| Net current assets/(liabilities) | 84,958 - 84,958 |
90,633 | |
| Net assets | 85,959 - 85,959 |
91,283 | |
| Financed by: | |||
| Unrestricted Funds | 85,959 - 85,959 |
91,283 |
Approved on 1st December 2023
NR Miles Chair and Trustee
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20 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the Year Ended 31 March 2023
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The following accounting policies have been used consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the charity’s financial statements.
(a) Basis of accounting
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 notes; and in accordance with “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2016) and the Charities Act 2011. CEASE is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS102.
(b) Going concern
At the time of approving the accounts, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.
(d) Resources Expended
The cost of generating funds are costs incurred in promoting the charity and its work.
Charitable Activities Expenditure comprises all expenditure directly related to the charity’s objects. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them, including support and governance costs.
(f) Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation
Fixed assets below an original cost of £1,000 are not capitalised. Depreciation is provided on all other fixed assets in order to write off the cost less estimated residual value, on a reducing balance basis, over their expected useful lives, at the following annual rates:
Fixtures & Fittings: 25%
Motor vehicles: 25%
(g) Taxation
CEASE is a registered charity, and is therefore exempt from income and corporation tax. It is not registered for VAT; expenditure is therefore recorded at the VAT-inclusive cost.
(c) Incoming Resources
Donations represent cash received during the year, including tax repayments received.
Charitable Activities income comprises income from various activities furthering the charity’s aims. Investment income comprises interest received from money in deposit accounts.
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2. INCOME FROM DONATIONS & LEGACIES
| Debtors | Unrestricted General Funds Designated Funds Total 2023 Total 2022 £ £ £ £ 130,255 - 130,255 135,005 |
|---|---|
| Cash at bank and in hand | 36,427 - 36,427 20,970 |
| 166,682 - 166,682 155,975 |
3. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES EXPENDITURE
| Unrestricted Designated Total |
Total | |
|---|---|---|
| General Funds Funds 2023 |
2022 | |
| £ £ £ |
£ | |
| Consulting | 5,035 - 5,035 |
43,999 |
| Marketing and communications | 2,577 - 2,577 |
5,281 |
| Wages & other staf costs | 129,190 - 129,190 |
81,856 |
| Travel & subsistence | 6,450 - 6,450 |
2,343 |
| Grants & donations | - - - |
500 |
| Hospitality | 680 - 680 |
160 |
| Event attendance | 110 - 110 |
377 |
| Staf training | 1,769 - 1,769 |
5,281 |
| Communications campaigns | 6,036 - 6,036 |
8,328 |
| Policy & public afairs campaigns | 5,226 - 5,226 |
4,672 |
| 157,073 - 157,073 |
152,797 |
4. SUPPORT COSTS
| 4. SUPPORT COSTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted Designated Total |
Total | |
| General Funds Funds 2023 |
2022 | |
| £ £ £ |
£ | |
| Accountancy fees | 1,053 - 1,053 |
1,372 |
| Independent examination fees | 900 - 900 |
840 |
| General ofce expenditure | 4,757 - 4,757 |
1,987 |
| Subscriptions | 1,273 - 1,273 |
832 |
| Insurance | 793 - 793 |
497 |
| Depreciation | 417 - 417 |
239 |
| Fines paid | 35 - 35 |
1,646 |
| Legal expenses | 2,292 - 2,292 |
2,520 |
| 11,520 - 11,520 |
9,933 |
22 | Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23
5. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
| 5. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS | |
|---|---|
| Cost | Furniture & Equipment Total 2023 £ £ |
| As at 1 April 2022 | 1,117 1,117 |
| Additions | 768 768 |
| As at 31 March 2023 | 1,885 1,885 |
| Depreciation | |
| As at 1 April 2022 | 467 467 |
| Charge for the year | 417 417 |
| As at 31 March 2023 | 884 884 |
| Net Book Value | |
| As at 31 March 2022 | 1,001 1,001 |
| As at 31 March 2022 | 650 650 |
6. DEBTORS
| 6. DEBTORS | |
|---|---|
| Unrestricted Designated Total |
Total |
| General Funds Funds 2023 |
2022 |
| £ £ £ |
£ |
| Prepayments 1,142 - 1,142 |
1,148 |
| Other 250 - 250 |
- |
| 1,392 - 1,392 |
1,148 |
7. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN 1 YEAR
| Unrestricted Designated Total |
Total |
|---|---|
| General Funds Funds 2023 |
2022 |
| £ £ £ |
£ |
| Trade creditors 1,786 - 1,786 |
6,345 |
| Tax & social security 4,712 - 4,712 |
1,563 |
| Accruals 1,020 - 1,020 |
870 |
| 7,518 - 7,518 |
8,778 |
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8. FUNDS ANALYSIS
| 8. FUNDS ANALYSIS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brought | Received | Paid | Transfers | Carried | |
| Forward | Forward | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Unrestricted General Fund | 41,283 | 166,682 | (172,006) | - | 35,959 |
| Unrestricted Designated Fund | |||||
| Reserve Fund | 50,000 | - | - | - | 50,000 |
| 91,283 | 166,682 | (172,006) | - | 85,959 |
9. TRANSACTIONS WITH TRUSTEES
During the year the trustees received no remuneration. One trustee was reimbursed £183 (2022: £252) for travel and other expenses during the year. No trustees have received any benefits from the charity during the year.
10. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There were no related party transactions in the year.
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