Trustees’ Annual Report 2021/22
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
The Student Publication Association CIO is a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales (number 1187383). The charity also operates using the working names “The Student Publication Association” and “The SPA”.
It is currently registered at 13 Brake Wood Close, Fremington, Barnstaple, EX31 3DP. This report covers the accounting period from 01/05/2021 to 30/04/2022.
The trustees who served during the reporting period are:
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Ben Adam Warner (Chair – trustee ex officio) (left post 22 May 2021. Reappointed 10 April 2022 as Second Financial Officer )
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Charlotte Louise Colombo (Chair – trustee ex officio) (joined 22 May 2021, left post 18 August 2021)
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Chay Louie Quinn (Chair – trustee ex officio) (joined 6 September 2021, left post 28 February 2022)
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Ruby Punt (Interim Chair – trustee ex officio) (joined 1 March 2022, left post 10 April 2022)
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Uditi Singh (Second Financial Officer – trustee ex officio) (left post 22 May 2021)
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Marino Cole Unger-Verna (Second Financial Officer — joined 6 September 2021. Chair from April 10 2022)
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Jemma Louise Collins (Elected Trustee)
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Aubrey Edward Lewis Allegretti (Elected Trustee)
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Geraldine Scott (Elected Trustee)
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Conor James Matchett (left post 8 May 2021)
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Richard Lewis Brooks
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Chris Chohan (left post 10 April 2022)
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Juliet Rix
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Sarah Esther Patterson (Elected Trustee - joined 15 August 2021)
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
The SPA is governed by a written constitution. The charity is constituted as a charitable incorporated organisation. The SPA’s trustees are selected via three methods:
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Ex officio: The Chair and Second Financial Officer of the SPA serve as trustees ex officio
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Elected: Up to four trustees are elected by the SPA’s membership, serving a term of up to four years.
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Appointed: Up to three trustees are nominated by vote of the executive officers and ratified by a majority vote of the sitting trustees, serving a term of up to three years.
Following the end of the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, which permitted charitable companies and CIOs to hold AGMs and other members’ meetings online regardless of governing documents, in March 2021, the trustees exercised their power under Clause 26 of the Constitution to make clear in the Bye-Laws that an online AGM could be held on 8 May 2021, but that this ability was to be repealed the day after the AGM, and instructed the Chair to note this decision in the annual report to demonstrate good governance.
During this period, the charity experienced a number of changes in leadership, with a total of five people holding the role of chair during this reporting period. The trustees recognise that this has made it more difficult to uphold our charitable objectives, but has since taken practical steps to support retention of leadership. This has included monthly support and oversight meetings, organised training and team building days, and increased handover guidance. The trustees are committed to continuing and building this support and are satisfied that it has made the desired impact. The current chair has been in place since April 2022.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Clause 3 of the SPA’s Constitution sets out that “the object of the SPA is to advance the education of student journalists in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.”
The SPA has carried out this object by:
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Hosting more than 20 informational training resources that are freely available on the SPA website, and taking steps to create further training resources and update existing ones.
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Facilitating collaboration and peer learning between student journalists from across the UK and Republic of Ireland by providing social media platforms to host discussion, including a new Discord server during the 2021/22 reporting period. The SPA currently operates a total of 10 groups on Facebook, with the largest containing over 1,700 members. Further communication between student journalists is facilitated through the work of the SPA’s team of volunteer Regional Officers and Project Officers.
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Providing individual guidance to student journalists on request, including supporting them in defending their right to practice journalism.
The SPA has further carried out this object by organising the following:
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A virtual annual conference held in May 2021, held over the course of a weekend, providing extensive vocational education for 350 student journalists. This conference comprised of more than 30 live sessions and was made accessible to the widest range of people possible, with tickets offered free-of-charge.
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Organising the first physical SPA event since before the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the SPA National Conference in Sheffield, providing extensive vocational education for 150 student journalists over the course of a weekend. To ensure that this
conference was accessible to the widest range of people possible, we ran our Diversity Bursary scheme, covering tickets, travel and accommodation for those underrepresented in the journalism industry, as well as keeping tickets as cheap as possible. A total of 14 students made use of the bursary fund.
- A series of virtual workshops hosted online and provided free of charge, many run by external journalism training colleges. The workshops focused on skills relevant to student journalists.
Of the three projects listed directly above, all have been completed.
The Trustees are satisfied that, due to the freely accessible nature of resources produced and shared by the SPA this year, that the SPA meets the statutory requirement to act for the public benefit.
The Trustees have, through the course of the reporting period, referred to guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales relating to the public benefit requirement when making decisions.
During the reporting period, the SPA ran a Diversity Bursary grant-issuing scheme. These grants were intended to cover the cost of attendance at the SPA’s 2022 Annual Conference and were to be funded by a combination of restricted fund donations and through the SPA’s general funds. The Trustees are satisfied that the grants would have been issued in keeping with the SPA’s object and public benefit, as they were specifically targeted at student journalists who would either by financially prohibited from attending the event, or who face other barriers to journalistic education.
The Trustees are also satisfied that grant money would be spent solely in support of these aims, as applications were reviewed by a sub-committee of the Trustees, and spending of the grant money would be carried out directly by the SPA, or reimbursed on production of a receipt detailing approved expenses.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
In keeping with the SPA’s object, the Trustees identified two major goals relating to the organisation of events:
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To host a vocational conference focused on journalistic education, at a cost lower than comparable conferences;
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To run a bursary scheme to widen access to the conference, covering the costs of attendance.
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To disseminate and promote use of free-to-access resources hosted on our website.
All of these goals were completed within the reporting period.
An additional goal of the SPA was to produce training materials to be hosted on the SPA website and made publicly accessible to all. The SPA has carried out planning relating to such training materials, including the organisation of online events. While time and resources were expended during the reporting period in pursuit of this goal, due to Executive Committee team changes, these educational materials were not made available until after its conclusion.
The SPA also aims to increased its reserves to hold the greater of 50% of expected annual turnover, or £7,500, by FY23, passed at the 2020 annual general meeting. At the end of the reporting period, the SPA held reserves significantly below this target. The trustees have resolved to bring this to the attention of members at the 2023 AGM, with a view to setting out policy going forwards.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
At the end of this reporting period, the SPA held a total of £16,645 in accounts managed by it. £647.35 of this figure was reserved funds which were intended for the SPA’s Diversity Bursary. No funds of the SPA are materially in deficit.
At incorporation, the SPA Trustees had agreed a target that the SPA should hold a minimum of £500 in reserves by the end of the reporting period. This was not intended to be the long-term reserves level, but a reflection of the trustees’ estimation of an attainable target.
The trustees decided that the SPA must increase its reserve level in order to ensure that it is protected against any short-term incidents that could have a negative effect on the SPA’s financial position. The long-term reserves level was set by members at the 2020 annual general meeting, at the greater of 50% of annual expected turnover or £7,500, and is subject to review at each subsequent annual general meeting.
At the end of the reporting period, the SPA held £1465.13 in reserves, after taking into account payments due to conference suppliers. On the basis of the SPA’s financial position, the trustees are satisfied that the SPA can continue to operate as a going concern.
EXEMPTIONS FROM DISCLOSURE
The SPA has not sought any exemptions from disclosure in accordance with applicable law.
FUNDS HELD AS CUSTODIAN TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS
The SPA has not acted as a custodian trustee on behalf of others during the reporting period.
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE STUDENT PUBLICATION ASSOCIATION CIO
(A Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1187383)
FOR THE PERIOD 1 MAY 2021 TO 30 APRIL 2022
| SECTION A - RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS A1 - Receipts Travel refunds Ticket sales Sponsorships Sundry income Diversity donations Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds £236.40 £13,443.29 £8,615 - - - - - - £750 - - - - - £236.40 £13,443.29 £8,615 - £750 |
SECTION A - RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS A1 - Receipts Travel refunds Ticket sales Sponsorships Sundry income Diversity donations Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds £236.40 £13,443.29 £8,615 - - - - - - £750 - - - - - £236.40 £13,443.29 £8,615 - £750 |
|---|---|
| SUB-TOTAL A2 - Asset and Investment Sales None £22,294.69 - £750 - - - £23,044.69 - |
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| TOTAL RECEIPTS £22,294.69 £750 - £23,044.69 |
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| A3 - Payments Event Expenses Bursary Recipients Operational Costs £13,062.61 - £83.78 - £752.65 - - - - £13,062.61 £752.65 £83.78 |
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| SUB-TOTAL A4 - Asset and Investment Purchases None £13,146.39 - £752.65 - - - £13,899.04 - |
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| TOTAL PAYMENTS £13,146.39 £752.65 - £13,899.04 |
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| NET OF RECEIPTS/ (PAYMENTS) Transfer Between Funds Last year cash funds £9,148.30 - £6,849.35 -£2.65 - £650 - - - |
£9,145.65 - £7,499.35 |
| CASH FUNDS AT YEAR END £15,997.65 £647.35 - |
£16,645 |
SECTION B - STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES AT THE END OF THE PERIOD
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Endowment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | |
| B1 - Cash Funds | |||
| Held in Bank Account | £15,997.65 | £647.35 | - |
| Held in PayPal Account | - | - | - |
| TOTAL CASH FUNDS | £15,997.65 | £647.35 | - |
| B2 - Other Monetary Assets | |||
| None | - | - | - |
| B3 - Investment Assets | |||
| None | - | - | - |
| B4 - Assets Retained for the Charity’s Own | |||
| Use | |||
| None | - | - | - |
| B5 - Liabilities | |||
| None | - | - | - |
In accordance with Clause 21 of the Student Publication Association CIO Constitution, signed by the following two charity trustees on behalf of all of the charity trustees:
Jemma Co ins Geraldine Scott Jemma Collins Geraldine Scott Trustee Trustee