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2021-12-31-accounts

TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT

Period: 1 January – 31 December 2021

Charity Number: 1185514

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

The Objects

The objects of the Academy are “to improve public health and well being by supporting research, education and associated activities which advance the knowledge and application of evidence-based nutrition science.”

Charitable Purposes for Public Benefit

As a charity the Academy must have aims that fall within the descriptions of charitable purposes set out in the Charities Act 2006. The charitable purposes of the Academy in pursuit of its objects are:

The Trustees have complied with the duty in s.17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission’s published general and relevant sub-sector guidance concerning the operation of the public benefit requirement under that Act. The beneficiaries are considered to be:

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ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Introduction and Foundation

The Academy of Nutrition Sciences is a joint initiative between the Association for Nutrition (AfN), the British Dietetic Association (BDA), the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) and the Nutrition Society, established in October 2019 to: ‘ Improve public health and wellbeing by supporting excellence in research, education and associated activities to advance the knowledge and application of evidence-based nutrition science.’

This object will be furthered, in collaboration with both the founding member organisations and additional new member organisations, through common goals and collective activities. The focus will be in four main areas:

Leadership

The Academy will provide a collective voice to engage with stakeholders in the area of nutrition and dietetics, including government and industry. It will also work with partner organisations to ensure publicly available nutrition and diet advice is evidence-based.

Communication, Education and Training

The Academy will champion nutrition science in evidence-based policy making and as a subject in education at all levels. The Academy will also promote education, training, information and guidance and advocate for greater nutrition education for medical students.

Stakeholder Relationships

The Academy will champion research, knowledge transfer and public engagement in the nutrition field. The Academy will champion the public’s greater awareness of the importance of properly regulated nutritionists and dietitians with suitable qualifications and experience.

Advancing the Research Agenda

The Academy will develop a concordat for funders and universities about what constitutes rigorous and ethically sound research in the nutrition field.

2021 Activities

Governance and Strategy

Throughout 2021, the second year of activities for the Academy, the trustees met on 3 occasions to transact Academy business. In addition, the trustees met on 3 further occasions to develop the Academy’s first strategic plan.

The strategic plan, following consultation with the member organisations, was completed in 2021. It contains the following:

Vision: To be an authoritative voice advancing and promoting evidence-based nutrition science.

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Mission: To champion nutrition science, enhancing its impact on policy and health for public benefit.

Three Strategic Priorities:

  1. Promoting collaboration and partnerships:

(1.1) Promote collaborations between the ANS member organisations.

(1.2) Promote external collaborations by developing and maintaining working relationships with appropriate partners

(1.3) Establish a collaborative model to enable wider membership of the Academy

  1. Influencing science and policy:

(2.1) Influence nutritionally-relevant policies at national and international levels by highlighting issues in nutrition science and encouraging action to address them

(2.2) Promote nutrition science research for the public benefit and actively engage with groups determining nutrition policy

(2.3) Improve the representation of nutrition science on research strategy groups and funding panels, and actively engage in discussions to help shape funding calls

(2.4) Publish position papers that promote and champion evidence- based nutrition science and to make recommendations that inform policy and practice

  1. Developing organisational resilience:

(3.1) Determine operational priorities for action and desired outcomes within the strategic plan

(3.2) Develop a financial plan to enable stability and growth

(3.3) Extend membership of ANS to societies and organisations which satisfy the membership criteria

(3.4) Encourage extension of Academy activities through task and finish group

(3.5) Develop and implement a communications strategy to raise the profile of the Academy’s work.

Trustee Positions

In July 2021 the chair of the trustees, Professor Harry McArdle, announced he wished to step down from the role of chair. In October 2021 the trustees unanimously agreed to appoint Professor Judy Buttriss as chair.

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Position Papers and Consultations

In 2020 The trustees established 3 Working Groups to develop three position papers which will review and report upon: 1. Nature of the evidence base and frameworks underpinning dietary recommendations for prevention of non-communicable disease ; 2. The Nature of the Evidence underpinning approvals of Health Claims on Food Products - Challenges and Opportunities ; 3. The Nature of the Evidence underpinning one-to-one dietary advice

The first of these Working Groups delivered their findings in a position paper, which was submitted to the British Journal of Nutrition. It was approved for publication in December 2020, titled Nature of the evidence base and frameworks underpinning dietary recommendations for prevention of non-communicable disease. On 29 January 2021 the paper was published in BJN in its finished format. The Academy, and its member organisations, communicated the paper to a wide, relevant, and influential audience. This communication included an editorial, authored by Williams CM, Buttriss JL, Whelan K, Synthesising nutrition science into dietary guidelines for populations amidst the challenge of fake news: summary of an Academy of Nutrition Sciences position paper, published in both Nutrition Bulletin and Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 2021.

Work continued throughout 2021 on the development of Papers 2 and 3 about the nature of the evidence-base in nutrition, and subsequently initial work on Paper 4 began. This paper focuses on Sustainable Food Systems .

On 30 March 2021 the Academy, after consulting its members, wrote to the Prime Minister to express its concerns over funding cuts to the Global Challenges Research Fund.

In the latter half of 2021, following a request from a constituent of a member organisation, the trustees began to consider the implications for the nutrition science community of Article 12 (c) of the Health Claims Regulations. The work has continued into 2022.

Internal Policy Development

During 2021, once work on the strategic plan was complete, the trustees focused on developing a strategic communications framework, and a recruitment process for engaging volunteers in the wider work of supporting the trustees in the delivery of the new strategic plan. The work has continued into 2022.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Income and Expenditure

The seed funding provided by the 4 member organisations in 2020 (total of £20,000) was designed to allow sufficient time for the Academy to develop a member fee structure and annual budget. As such, no membership fees were required from member organisations in 2021. The Academy subsequently recorded no income for 2021. On the expense side administrative costs during 2021 totalled £411, resulting in total funds for the Academy on 31 December 2021 of £17,135 (2020 £17,546).

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Policy for Holding Reserves

The free reserves are defined as funds that are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees. The Trustees have included in the reserves the cash and bank balances held for the day to day business requirements of the Academy. It is the intention of the Trustees to build a reserve fund sufficient to ensure the Academy can continue to operate, should revenues be reduced, for a minimum period of one year.

Risk Management

The main areas of risk that have been identified by the Trustees are: damage to the Academy’s reputation through adverse publicity; significant loss of member organisations; financial losses through fraud or loss of income. In these cases preventative measures and financial controls have been agreed and established and the Trustees have implemented procedures for the Secretariat reporting internal control failures immediately to the Trustees, together with details of corrective action being taken.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Introduction

The governing document is the Constitution as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, dated 9 May 2019.

How the Academy is Constituted

The Academy’s governing body is the Trustee Board, which has 9 members. Three Trustees undertake the duties of Chair, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

The Trustees exercise all the powers of the Academy, subject to the provisions of the charity laws currently in force and with the assistance and advice of an Operational Support Group and a Secretariat. The Operational Support Group comprises of the CEOs of the 4 founding member organisations. The Secretariat provides administrative services, at no cost, to the Academy. The Secretariat is hosted by the Nutrition Society, one of the founding member organisations. In addition, there are from time-to-time, sub-committees and working groups reporting to the Trustees on specialist areas of the Academy’s activities. With these arrangements in place, the Trustees at all times have a detailed knowledge of the business being transacted by the Academy.

Methods Used to Appoint Trustees

Procedures for election for Trustee posts are in place. When nominations are needed they will be sought, as proscribed in the Constitution, from the membership and through advertising on the website to which members’ attention is drawn by personal email alerts. Trustees will be elected by decision of the members at the annual general meeting. The

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Constitution, containing the appointment of trustees’ procedure, is available on the Academy’s website.

It will be the intention of the Academy to ensure all new Trustees receive an induction pack and guidance from the Trustees. An induction meeting will be held to ensure that the incoming Trustees have the opportunity to question the other officers about policy and actions of the board so that they can take up their duties with clear understanding of the current position of the Academy. In addition, all new trustees will attend within their first 6 months in post an external governance training workshop.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

The name : The Academy of Nutrition Sciences Charity registration number : It is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1185514

Address of the principal office and address of the registered office:

Boyd Orr House, 10 Cambridge Court, 210 Shepherds Bush Road, London W6 7NJ

The Trustees at 31 December 2021

Professor Kevin Whelan Professor Harry McArdle Professor Andrew Salter – Honorary Secretary & Treasurer Dr Frank Thies Dr Fiona McCullough Dr Margaret Ashwell Mrs. Barbara Saunders Professor Judy Buttriss - Chair Professor Christine Williams

Bankers: Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). CAF Bank, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ

By Order of the Trustees

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Mark Hollingsworth, Secretary

Approved by the Trustees 10 May 2022.

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Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Balance Sheet

Year Ending: 31 December 2021

CURRENT ASSETS
Bank
Debtors
Creditors - amounts falling due within one year
Note: Creditor is the Nutrition Society (the Secretariat). Payment was made for £2,785 in 2022
NET CURRENT ASSETS
ACADEMY FUNDS
Unrestricted Funds
TOTAL FUNDS
Registered Charity Number 1185514		 2021
£
19,920
-
19,920
2,785
17,135
17,135
17,135		 2020
20,000
20,000
2,454
17,546
17,546
17,546

Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA)

Year Ending: 31 December 2021

Note
Income from:
Membership
Total Income
Expenditure on:
Charitable Activities
Administration
Total expenditure
Net movement in funds
Fund balance at 31 December 2020
Fund balance at 1 January 2021
Fund balances at 31 December 2021		 2021
£
0
0
0
411
411
-411
17,546
17,135		 2020
20,000
20,000
2,454
0
2,454
17,546
17,546
17,546

Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Profit and Loss Account

Year Ending: 31 December 2021

Date
Item
15-Mar-21 Bank charges
15-Apr-21 Bank charges
17-May-21 Bank charges
15-Jun-21 Bank Charges
15-Jul-21 Bank Charges
16-Aug-21 Bank Charges
15-Sep-21 Bank Charges
15-Oct-21 Bank Charges
15-Nov-21 Bank Charges
15-Dec-21 Bank Charges
15-Dec-21 Website charges		 Income
-
(411.05)		 Expenditure
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
331.05
411.05