Trustees’ Annual Report 2022/23
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”.
During the period of this report, it was registered at 13 Brake Wood Close, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3DP. The registered office has since changed to 46 St Olaves Road, London, E6 2PA on February 4, 2024.
This report covers the accounting period from 01/05/2022 to 30/04/2023.
The trustees who served during the reporting period are:
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Marino Cole Unger-Verna (Chair — trustee ex officio. Left post April 2, 2023);
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Matthew Ward-Perkins (Chair — trustee ex officio. Joined April 2, 2023);
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Ben Adam Warner (Second financial officer — trustee ex officio. Left post April 2, 2023);
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Justine Noble (Second financial officer — trustee ex officio. Joined April 2, 2023)
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Sarah Esther Patterson (Elected Trustee. Left post 11 September, 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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Richard Lewis Brooks (Appointed Trustee)
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Juliet Rix (Appointed Trustee)
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Anttoni James Numminen (Appointed Trustee. Joined 4 February, 2023).
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.
In our previous report (2021/22) the trustees acknowledged a number of changes in leadership, with a total of five people holding the role of chair during a 12-month period. As a result, a commitment was made to increase the support available to student leaders, including organised training and team building days, monthly support and oversight meetings, and increased handover guidance. We are pleased to report leadership has fallen back into line with our annual election cycle, with both chairs in this reporting period (2022/23) serving full terms. The trustees are committed to continuing and building this support and are satisfied that it has made the desired impact.
During this period, the charity held one AGM in April 2023, allowing members to vote on policy and direction. The minutes for this are available online. Two motions were passed:
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Financial Reserves Policy: The membership voted to hold the organisation’s financial reserves policy in its current form for another year, which sets an ambition to secure reserves of “the greater of 50% of expected annual turnover, or £7,500, within three years of the Bye-Law’s enactment (FY23). At the time of the motion passing, this had not yet been achieved, with £6,225 in reserves, but the membership was satisfied that good progress had been made. The policy will be put to vote again in 2024.
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Arts & Culture Awards + Speakers: This motion proposed that the organisation should recognise the breadth of student journalism, with particular regard to culture journalism. Members voted to introduce new awards specifically targeted at culture journalists, as well as increasing the number of speakers from this area. Work has begun in this area, following the vote, with actions scheduled to take place at our 2024 conference. The executive committee will deliver a full report to the membership on this motion at the 2024 conference.
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. The SPA has also created further training resources and updated existing ones during this period.
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Facilitating collaboration and peer learning between student journalists from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland by providing social media platforms to host discussions. The SPA currently operates a total of 10 groups on Facebook, with the largest containing
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almost 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:
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Organising the SPA National Conference in Glasgow, the first time the event has been held in Scotland, providing extensive vocational training for more than 200 student journalists during the course of a weekend. This was our largest attendance to date.
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To ensure this conference was accessible to the widest range of people possible, we ran a Financial Assistance Scheme (renamed from Diversity Bursary in 2021/22), covering tickets, travel and accommodation for those who would be otherwise unable to attend. In total, six students made use of the fund.
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The SPA also worked to secure £13,000 of sponsorship for the event, which was used to subsidise the sale of all tickets.
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Introducing a new series of practical one-to-one sessions at the annual conference, including copy clinics, design drop-ins, and CV advice. These were used by dozens of student journalists across the weekend, allowing them to gain more personalised advice and journalistic education.
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The SPA also collaborated with the external publisher Journo Resources to offer paid work and training for four student journalists, who reported from the event.
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Organising a national awards scheme, with 24 categories, offering student journalists the chance to get feedback on their work from professional journalists, as well as recognition. The SPA received more than 1,200 entries in 2022/23.
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The SPA also ran a series of regional awards, offering further feedback and recognition to student journalists across all eight regions.
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A series of virtual workshops hosted online and provided free of charge, run by trustees, external journalism training colleges, and media companies such as Substack. The workshops focused on skills relevant to student journalists.
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Organising a 10th-anniversary celebration to bring together students with alumni and other professional journalists, with the aim of fostering networking opportunities.
Of the four 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, 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 Financial Assistance grant-issuing scheme — in previous years this has been referred to as the ‘Diversity Bursary’. These grants were intended to cover the cost of attendance at the SPA’s 2023 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 be issued in keeping with the SPA’s object and public benefit, as they were specifically targeted at student journalists who would either be 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 is 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 objectives, the Trustees identified three 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 the 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 released a number of such training materials during this reporting period and also began work to relaunch our website to further these objectives. Due to the scope of the work required, this relaunch was completed in the following reporting period.
The SPA also aims to increase its reserves to hold the greater of 50% of expected annual turnover, or £7,500 (whichever is greater) by FY23, passed at the 2022 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 2024 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 £2,901.99 in accounts managed by it. £528 of this figure was reserved funds which were intended for the SPA’s Financial Assistance Bursary. No funds of the SPA are materially in deficit.
At incorporation, the SPA Trustees had agreed to 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 2022 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 £2,373.57 in unrestricted reserves. 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 2022 TO 30 APRIL 2023
| SECTION A - RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS A1 - Receipts Travel refunds Ticket sales Sponsorships Sundry income Diversity donations Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds - £18,187.35 £14,240 £23.20 - - - - - £250 - - - - - - £18,187.35 £14,240 £23.20 £250 |
SECTION A - RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS A1 - Receipts Travel refunds Ticket sales Sponsorships Sundry income Diversity donations Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds - £18,187.35 £14,240 £23.20 - - - - - £250 - - - - - - £18,187.35 £14,240 £23.20 £250 |
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| SUB-TOTAL A2 - Asset and Investment Sales None £32,450.55 - £250 - - - £32,700.55 - |
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| TOTAL RECEIPTS £32,450.55 £250 - £32,700.55 |
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| A3 - Payments Event Expenses Bursary Recipients Operational Costs £45,546.33 - £528.30 - £368.93 - - - - £45,546.33 £368.93 £528.30 |
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| SUB-TOTAL A4 - Asset and Investment Purchases None £46,074.63 - £368.93 - - - £46,443.56 - |
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| TOTAL PAYMENTS £46,074.63 £368.93 - £46,443.56 |
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| NET OF RECEIPTS/ (PAYMENTS) Transfer Between Funds Last year cash funds -£13,624.08 - £15,997.65 -£118.93 - £647.35 - - - |
-£13,743.01 - £16,645 |
| CASH FUNDS AT YEAR END £2,373.57 £528.42 - |
£2,901.99 |
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 | £2,373.57 | £528.42 | - |
| Held in PayPal Account | - | - | - |
| TOTAL CASH FUNDS | £2,373.57 | £528.42 | - |
| 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
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of the Student Publication Association CIO
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Student Publication Association CIO (the Association) ended 30 April 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Association you 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 Association’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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Association as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed:
Name: Owain Evans Address: 1855 E Yale Drive, Tempe, Arizona, 85283, United States of America Date: 27 February 2024