# **The Article 11 Trust Charity No : 1185631**
**Trustees Report & Account For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Contents**
|**Contents**|**Page No**|
|---|---|
|Charity Information|1|
|Trustees' Report|2 - 6|
|Independent Examiner's Report|7|
|Receipts and Payments Account|8|
|Balance Sheet|9|
|Notes|10|
## **The Article 11 Trust**
**Charity No : 1185631 Receipts & Payments Account For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Trust Information :**
|**Management Committee:**|Kevin Robert Blowe (Trustee)|
|---|---|
||Rowan C Stygal (Trustee)|
||Daniel Weir (Trustee)|
||Thomas Barns (Trustee)|
||Sam Walton (Trustee)|
||Annu Mayor (Trustee)|
||Imogen Richmond-Bishop (Trustee)|
||Ray Morrison (Trustee)|
|**Registered Office :**|162a Southwark Bridge Road|
||London|
||SE1 0DG|
|**Bankers:**|Unity Trust Bank|
||P O Box 7193|
||Planetary Road|
||Willenhall|
||WV1 9DG|
|**Independent Examiner's :**|Glory Community Accounting Services|
||318 Barking Road|
||Plaistow|
||London|
||E13 8HL|
1
**Trustees’ Report**
## **For the Year Ended 31[st] March 2023**
The Article 11 Trust is registered with the Charity Commission as a CIO with registration number 1185631.
Founded in 2019 and becoming active in 2020, the Article 11 Trust is dedicated to defending the right of assembly as guaranteed by Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
We recognise that much of the most important work in this cause is carried out by grass roots organisations, working directly with those who exercise their rights. However, these groups have found it increasingly hard to access the resources they need to undertake their vital work.
As such, the Article 11 Trust seeks to identify and work closely with these groups, securing funding for their charitable endeavours and promoting their work. This includes research and education into issues surrounding the right to protest, as well as direct legal guidance and training to people who attend protests.
## _**Charitable objectives**_
Our Charitable Purpose as set out in our governing documents is:
The advancement of human rights for the benefit of the public in the UK with a particular emphasis on rights to freedom of assembly and association under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in all or any of the following ways:
- a) Monitoring and reporting of breaches of obligations to protect the human right to freedom of assembly and association;
- b) Promoting effective redress following any breach
- c) Disseminating information, organising events and commissioning and publishing research on the exercise of human rights to freedom of assembly and association and the obligations and duties of UK public servants
- d) Providing technical advice to government and others on human rights matters
- e) Contributing to the sound administration of human rights law
- f) Commenting on proposed UK human rights legislation
- g) Raising public awareness of human rights issues, in particular rights to freedom of assembly and association
- h) Promoting public support for protecting rights to freedom of assembly and association
In furtherance of this objective but not otherwise, the trustees shall have power to engage in political activity, provided that the trustees are satisfied that the proposed activities will further the purposes of the charity to an extent justified by the resources committed and the activity is not the dominant means by which the charity carries out its activities.
## _**Strategic Overview**_
2022-23 was dominated largely by the urgent need to respond to firstly the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act, and then the new Public Order Bill, both of which pose a significant threat to Article 11 Rights.
Against this background we were able to secure significant new funding streams that have enabled us to support a substantial body of work conducted by our funding partners, analysing the implementation and impact of the new law, as well as ensuring protesters were able to access training on how to protect their rights. In addition to this, we recruited two new trustees and engaged ongoing third party administrative support, as well as funding new grantees for the first time to deliver valuable work, including legal observing and court support.
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## **Goals**
## _**Funding**_
Further relationships with existing donors
Establish new relationships with additional donors
Secure grant funding for projects challenging the impact of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill
Secure grant funding for the establishment of a Small Grants Programme aimed at grass roots support
## _**Charitable Activities**_
Continue facilitation of a body of research and education work, both in respect of protest rights generally and the impact and consequences of the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill
Further sub-granting programme to groups working to further A11 rights
Close out the Barry Amiel & Normal Melburn Trust Research Fellowship
## _**Governance and Administration**_
Expand the board of Trustees
Continue to improve internal policies and procedures to ensure rigorous compliance with charity law.
Obtain staffing resource for administrative, research and funding activities
## _**Evaluation Summary**_
This has been a highly successful third year of operation for the Article 11 Trust, in which we met or exceeded our goals for the year. This was the first year of operation since Covid restrictions were fully lifted, and one in which major legislative changes were made to protest law, meaning it was critical that we could act effectively.
At a strategic level, we were successful in two major donation applications that have secured significant grants for the Trust. This has enabled us to respond effectively to the quickly changing environment brought about by the PCSC Act passing into law, and to plan a significant long term project supporting grass roots movements in exercising their Article 11 rights.
Through the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust’s Research Fellowship, and subsequently a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Foundation, we were able to facilitate significant research efforts into the changing landscape of protest. This culminated in a significant report into the policing of legal observers, as well as numerous other pieces of research.
Our ongoing core partnerships with Netpol and Green and Black Cross continued, and we welcomed significant new grantees such as the Activist Court Aid Brigade and Black Protest Legal Support. We also received the Scottish Community Aid Legal Project’s report back on our grant to them in the last funding period, confirming the meaningful impact our funding has.
In terms of administration, we successfully recruited two new Trustees to our board, and engaged Netpol to provide ongoing administrative support through the employment of an Organising and Partnerships Coordinator. Our policies and procedures have been kept under review, and our demonstrable dedication to regulatory compliance was instrumental in our successful funding bids.
## **Charitable Activities**
3
## _Responding to the PCSC Bill_
The Article 11 Trust’s main strategic objective in 2022-2023 continued to be responding effectively to the challenges posed by the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 which passed into law on 28[th] April. This was then followed by the new Public Order Bill 2022, which is expected to become law in the spring of 2023 and may prove even more deleterious to Article 11 rights.
As reported in 2021, we successfully applied for funding from the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust to embed a research fellow with Netpol, with the specific aim of researching protest policing and providing key insight into the impact the PCSC Bill. This work was carried out and concluded in September 2022. In order to both continue and further this work, in the light of the ongoing impact of the Act, we successfully applied for a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Foundation to fund a full time staff member, whose time would be split between contributing to Netpol’s work documenting and challenging the use of the Act, and assisting with the administration of the Article 11 Trust.
This work has had a significant impact, furthering the Trust’s objectives. At a strategic level, a key accomplishment was compelling the publication of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Protest Operational Advice Document, following a Freedom of Information request by the Article 11 Trust. This document, although still flawed, is a significant improvement on the previous 2019 version and clearly indicates that the NPCC has listened to submissions from campaigners. However, the Trust continues to believe that Netpol’s Charter of for Freedom of Assembly Rights, published last year, represents the best practical alternative. Further impact is demonstrated by the efforts of groups including Netpol that secured agreement from the Home Secretary that the impact of the Act would be reported upon.
Following the passing of the act, Netpol launched the Defend Dissent campaign, kicking off a year of intense activity aimed at defending the right to protest. This included beginning a long-term monitoring project, expected to run until 2024, tracking the impact of the Act. This is supplemented by the various reports Netpol has produced throughout the year supported by our BANM Research Fellow, documenting the impact of the Act and highlighting police actions against protesters, and legal observers. This included the in-depth report, “Protecting Protest – Police Treatment of Legal Observers in Britain”. Other reports included an analysis of the changes to the law of highway disruption, an analysis of the police’s threshold and terminology matrix – including the meaning of the term ‘aggravated activist’ and an investigation into so-called ‘bullshit arrests’.
Article 11 Trust funding also enabled Netpol to respond quickly to the publication of the new Public Order Bill. Activities throughout the year included regular commentary, in depth explainers, a submission to Parliament on the Bill and a well-attended online webinar with Garden Court Chambers, examining its likely impact. In 2023, Netpol held it Aggravated Activism day, bringing together activists from a wide variety of protest movements to campaign for their rights and is set to continue this work through 202324
The Article 11 Trust was also able to support other organisations such as Green and Black Cross (GBC) in directly supporting activists to know their rights. Utilising research conducted by Netpol, GBC held ongoing know your rights sessions. These have been well attended and have contributed significantly to combatting the chilling effect of the legislation. They have reached large numbers of activists and a single event held in the summer reached over 150 participants. Further work is expected following changes to be introduced by the Public Order Bill.
## _**Grass Roots Support**_
The Article 11 Trust continued its programme of funding for grass roots groups providing direct support to those exercising their right to protest. These grants vary in size and scope, depending upon the organisation’s needs.
4
Activities funded by these grants directly counter the chilling effect of protest laws in three principal ways. Firstly they enable activists to access training in their rights, demystifying new legislation and allowing them to take informed decisions when deciding to engage in protest. Secondly, they fund practical support during and immediately after protests take place. This support is not prescriptive but is determined by the groups concerned. It may include, for example, training and equipment for legal observers, police station support for protesters who have been arrested, or software to enable back-office connections. Thirdly it supports longer term needs of protesters, for example court support, which is invaluable to those who become caught up in the criminal justice system
As part of this programme, the Article 11 Trust made a small grant to Black Protest Legal Support (BPLS), an organisation which offers legal advice and support for protesters in the UK for a one-off project supporting Legal Observers. Subsquently, we agreed to act as a pass-through to support a large two-year grant from Lankelly Chase to BPLS, to expand the staff team and pay for costs associated with core activities such as legal observing, care support to legal observers, transport to protests and so forth. This demonstrates the value that the Article 11 Trust adds as an intermediary, facilitating the transfer and good governance of charitable funds that may not otherwise be possible.
The Article 11 Trust also made smaller grants to grass roots organisations working to further the right to assembly. Notably, these included the Activist Court Aid Brigade, who received funds from the Article 11 Trust for the first time. In this case, it is anticipated that Article 11 Funds will contribute support hundreds of hours of court support across the grant periods.
The Scottish Community Activist and Legal Project, who received a grant last year, also reported back on their activities. Over 2,600 activists signed up to know your rights sessions, legal observer training and back office, and both 100 active legal observers and 24-hour legal support were provided during COP26. This included case-support guidance, independent witness statements from legal observers and emotional and practical support for defendants during court cases. In addition to grass roots support, SCALP was able to contribute to reporting protests by Netpol and the Article 11 Trust.
## **Small Grants Programme**
The Article 11 Trust was successful in its application to Lankelly Chase for a significant grant to be used for the establishment of a small grants programme, with funds split between direct grant-outs and the associated administrative costs.
Initial work on establishing this programme has now begun with an exercise mapping potential funding targets and the establishment of compliance procedures for vetting suitable recipients and ensuring they are able to manage the use of funding appropriately.
## _**Governance and Administration**_
We have been successful in recruiting two additional trustees, to help share the burden of work for the trust.
Across the year there have been a number of adjustments and improvements to the Trust’s administrative processes. Initially these were spearheaded by the Research Fellow under the terms of the BANM Grant. After this closed in September 2022, the Article 11 Trust contracted with Netpol to continue providing administrative support through the employment of an Organising and Partnerships Coordinator, funded by a grant from JRCT, whose time would be shared between the activities of Netpol and the Article 11 Trust. Rachel Currie, who was formerly the Research Fellow was successful in her application for the post and has continued to make a tangible difference to our capabilities.
Access to this resource has enabled the Trust to improve its administration capabilities, relieving the Trustees of some of this burden, enabling them to focus on strategic considerations and particularly the creation of the Small Grants Programme. Two new committees have now been established, one with responsibility for managing relationships and reporting to funders, while the other is responsible for
5
approving grant-outs to recipients. These dedicated committees allow more time to be spent on these decisions, ensuring robust compliance with our regulatory responsibilities.
The Trust has also adopted Tresorit as its file management system, moving away from Google Drives. Tresorit is much more robust, allowing great security as well as organisation of core documentation.
## **Responsibilities of the Trustees**
The Trustees have responsibilities to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees should follow best practice and:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis.
- The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charity Law. Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention an detection of fraud and other irregularities
Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Kevin Blowe, Trustee
6
## **Independent Examiners Report to the Members of The Article 11 Trust**
I report on the attached Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set on pages 8 to 10 and have been prepared on an accrual basis.
## **Respective responsibilities of Management Committee and Examiner:**
The Charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
- examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act;
- to follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act , and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of Independent Examiner’s Statement:**
My examination was carried out in accordance with general directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’ and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent Examiner’s Statement** :
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act or
- the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
-------------------Hasina Jahan (MBA, M Com, DFT, MAAT) Glory Community Accounting Services 318 Barking Road Plaistow London E13 8HL
Date: 6 March 2024
7
## **The Article 11 Trust**
## **Charity No : 1185631**
## **Receipts and Payments Account For the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Receipts**
Donations
Grants
Solberga Foundation
**Total Receipts**
**Payments**
Website design & Development
Recruitment / Staff Training
Office equipment
Telephone / Internet
Consulting
General expenses
Grants to Beneficiaries
Insurance
Postage / Printing / Stationery
Depreciation expenses
Payroll expenses
Accountancy fees
Bank charges
**Total Payments**
**Net Receipts /(Payments)**
Funds brought forward
**Funds carried forward**|Unrestricted
Restricted
**2023**
**2022**
funds
funds
Total
Total
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
404
-
404
310
-
277,332
277,332
56,665
10,000
-
10,000
-|
|---|---|
||**10,404**
**277,332**
**287,736**
**56,975**|
||Unrestricted
Restricted
**2023**
**2022**
funds
funds
Total
Total
**£**
**£**
**£**
**£**
-
123
123
199
-
379
379
55
-
90
90
90
-
180
180
494
-
-
-
1,800
-
1,223
1,223
1,545
-
126,365
126,365
27,665
-
566
566
549
-
18
18
-
176
-
176
176
-
-
-
125
600
-
600
450
72
-
72
72|
||**848**
**128,944**
**129,793**
**33,220**|
||9,556
148,388
157,944
23,755
94
28,030
28,124
4,369|
||**9,650**
**176,418**
**186,068**
**28,124**|
8
## **The Article 11 Trust**
## **Charity No : 1185631 Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2023**
|Notes
**Tangible Assets**
Fixed Assets
**Current Assets**
Cash at Bank / in hand
**Current Liabilities**
Creditor & Accruals
2
(amounts falling due within one year)
Net Current Assets
**Net Assets**
**Funds & Reserve**
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
**Total**|**2023**
Total
**£**
352
196,289
(10,574)
185,715
**186,068**
**2023**
**£**
9,650
176,418
**186,068**|**2022**
Total
**£**
529
28,045
(450)|
|---|---|---|
|||27,595|
|||**28,124**|
|||**2022**
**£**
94
28,030|
|||**28,124**|
Approved by the Management Committee and signed on its behalf by:
………………………………… Kevin Robert Blowe (Trustee)
6 March 2024 Date…………………
9
## **The Article 11 Trust**
**Charity No : 1185631**
**Notes of the Receipts and Payments Account For the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **1.a) Accounting Policies**
This financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and the Charities Act 2011 and applicable regulations.
The accounts 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.
## **b) Fund Accounting**
Unrestricted funds are receipts generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.
Restricted funds are subject to restrictions on their payments imposed by the funder or through the terms of an appeal.
**c) Receipts** : All receipts are included in the Receipts and Payments Account which are received during the year.
**d) Payments:** All payments are recognised in the period in which they are incurred. Some of the expenses incurred this year but spent from last year restricted funds.
**e)Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation:** Any Assets more than £200.00 will be count as an
fixed assets. Depreciation is provided to write off the assets in equal instalments over their useful lives.
|Fixtures & Fittings|20% straight line method|20% straight line method|
|---|---|---|
|Computer|25% straight line method||
|**2. Creditors & Accruals**|**2023**|**2022**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Accountancy fee|500|450|
|Other Creditors|10,074||
|**Total**|**10,574**|**450**|
|**3. Fixed Assets**|**2023**|**2022**|
||**£**|**£**|
|Cost|705|705|
|**Depreciation**|||
|As at 31.03.2022|353|-|
|Charge for the Year|352|352|
|**_As at 31.03.2023_**|**352**|**353**|
10