Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research (CEEALAR) 36 York Street, Blackpool, FY1 5AQ Charity registration number: 1189768 Ceealar.org contact@ceealar.org 07863146329
Annual Report 2022/23
We are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), controlled by three trustees - Gregory Hamish Colbourn (hereafter, Greg Colbourn), Florent Berthet and Peter Alexander Cooper. Day-to-day management of the organisation is directed by our Executive Director (Greg Colbourn), and managed by our Operations and Community Managers. Our organisation structure is shown (as of October 2023) in the figure below:
The trusteeship remained the same since the founding of the organisation throughout the year being reported on (to 31 October 2023). However, in November 2023, Sasha Cooper and Florent Berthet stepped down, and we welcomed onboard two new trustees: Dušan Nešić and Kyle Smith. We remain open to recruiting new trustees (in addition to the current three, or replacing any one of us if one of us were to leave), and have in the past reached out to various supporters of the project in this regard.
We make grants to individuals and charities in the form of providing free or subsidised serviced accommodation and board, and a moderate stipend for other living expenses. The Trustees apply the charity’s funds in accordance with the charitable purposes and objectives of the charity. Namely:
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To advance education, learning and research in all fields of academic study through the provision of free or subsidised living accommodation to those undertaking such learning and research.
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To promote the efficiency and effectiveness of charities and the efficient use of charitable resources for the public benefit by promoting the study of efficient use of charitable resources.
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To advance such other purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law in England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time determine.
Our funding comes from individual donors (primarily those associated with the global Effective Altruism community) and grants from philanthropic foundations. This year, we got our second grant from Survival and Flourishing Fund.
Our activities this year (the year this report covers, 1 Nov 2022 - 31 Oct 2023) have primarily been those related to our core objectives of providing education and research opportunities to our grantees, by hosting them at our buildings in Blackpool. In the year to come (1 Nov 2023 - 31 Oct 2024), we have primarily been doing the same. Following last year’s report, the renovation of the adjoining property was completed in spring 2023. As of August 2024, the property (34 York Street, Blackpool) has been donated by Greg Colbourn to CEEALAR.
Our achievements are summarised on our Outputs page:
ceealar.org/learn-more/our-outputs . Of note, we've hosted retreats for organisations who’s missions align with ours, including for ALLFED (Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters), and once again had grantees accepted into the Stanford Existential Risks Initiative Machine Learning Alignment Theory Scholars (SERI MATS) program, after spending time learning relevant material around AI existential risk during our hosting of them.
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In the coming year (FY 2023/24, to 31 October 2024), we have the following objectives:
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Maintain income from donations and grants to a level where we have at least 6 months’ reserves, aiming toward 12 months reserves if possible. Last year we did not achieve this, dropping below 6 months’ reserves before a significant grant came in in April 2024.
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Increase our average occupancy rate by grantees (lowered by increased capacity with second building) to a level where we are maximising the efficiency of our resources (building and staff). This would be preferably 80% (to leave contingency for accepting promising grantees when they apply).
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Maintain the percentage of grantees going on to develop their career in a manner that is focused on maximising public benefit (this could be further study, internships, work at charitable organisations within the Effective Altruism community and beyond). This has been a motivation of ours from our founding. We are however, cognizant of the fact that many of our grantees are at an early stage of their career, or making a career transition, and are therefore experimenting to some degree, so it cannot be expected that all will succeed. Because of this we feel that an ongoing rate of 50% for this objective is appropriate and achievable.
Financially, we are currently (as of August 2024) in great shape, having our operating expenses covered to the end of 2025, having received two significant grants earlier this year. As of the end of this year (October 2023), we had 4 months’ operating expenses in reserves.
We aimed to obtain and keep at least 6 months of operating reserves throughout the next year (until October 2024), and preferably increase this to a minimum of 12 months’ operating expenses, but this was conditional on receiving further grants from previous supporters, and the nature of our income being blocked into significant grants means that it is difficult to maintain reserves at a stable level. Reserves are held in cash. Now (as of August 2024) that we have greater than 12 months operating reserves, we intend to develop a (low risk) investment strategy, with the aim of preserving the value of our reserves relative to inflation. We have no debts. We do not hold any funds as a custodian trustee.
Following last year’s report, we have a new bank account that allows dual-authorisation of payments and we are in the process of onboarding Trustees into the process.
The Trustees have approved the accounts accompanying this report.
In carrying out its activities in the year under review, the Trustees confirm that they have complied with their duties under Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011, to have regard for the public benefit guidance issued by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Specifically, the Trustees confirm that they have strived to ensure that the two conditions of achieving public benefit are met: 1) that there are identifiable benefits to our work, and 2) that the benefits are to the public or a section of the public. Please refer to our objectives, listed above, which explain the nature of our work in relation to meeting the public benefit requirement.
Approved by the members of the board of Trustees on 29th August 2024, and signed on their behalf by:
Dr Gregory Hamish Colbourn 29/8/2024
Profit and Loss
Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research For the year ended 31 October 2023
| Profit and Loss Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research For the year ended 31 October 2023 |
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|---|---|
| 2023 | |
| Turnover | |
| Donations Received | 184,507.02 |
| Total Turnover | 184,507.02 |
| Cost of Sales | |
| Direct Expenses | 39,895.98 |
| Direct Wages | 83,468.88 |
| Total Cost of Sales | 123,364.86 |
| Gross Profit | 61,142.16 |
| Administrative Costs | |
| Advertising & Marketing | 65.63 |
| Audit & Accountancy fees | 2,850.00 |
| Bank Fees | 615.75 |
| Bank Revaluations | (2,179.44) |
| Charitable and Political Donations | (23.00) |
| Cleaning & Waste | 1,670.18 |
| Equip Expensed | 1,064.45 |
| Furniture | 187.57 |
| FX Gain / Loss | 2,196.31 |
| General Expenses | 7,696.59 |
| Insurance | 1,811.42 |
| IT Software and Consumables | 575.05 |
| Legal Expenses | (1,027.01) |
| Light, Power, Heating | 21,827.95 |
| Pensions Costs | 2,453.56 |
| Postage, Freight & Courier | 6.99 |
| Printing & Stationery | 1.75 |
| Repairs & Maintenance | 22,055.61 |
| Staff Training | 941.96 |
| Stipends | 2,993.60 |
| Telephone & Internet | 4,335.00 |
| Travel - International | 968.81 |
| Travel - National | 1,708.51 |
| Total Administrative Costs | 72,797.24 |
| Operating Profit | (11,655.08) |
| Profit on Ordinary Activities Before Taxation | (11,655.08) |
| Profit after Taxation | (11,655.08) |
Profit and Loss Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research
19 Jul 2024 Page 1 of 1
Balance Sheet
Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research As at 31 October 2023
| Balance Sheet Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research As at 31 October 2023 |
Balance Sheet Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research As at 31 October 2023 |
|---|---|
| 31 OCT 2023 | |
| Fixed Assets | |
| Tangible Assets | |
| Buildings 135,000.00 |
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| Total Tangible Assets 135,000.00 |
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| Total Fixed Assets 135,000.00 Current Assets |
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| Cash at bank and in hand | |
| Analyzed Non-Profit Checking 23,503.18 |
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| CENTRE FOR ENABLING EA LEARNIN 18,032.92 |
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| Centre For Enabling Ea Learning & Research 500.00 |
|
| GBP PayPal 6,558.61 |
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| WISE GBP 19,211.41 |
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| WISE USD 1,015.35 |
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| Total Cash at bank and in hand 68,821.47 |
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| Cryto Balance 8,413.21 |
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| Total Current Assets 77,234.68 Creditors: amounts falling due withinone year |
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| Directors' Loan Account 89,649.43 |
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| Total Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 89,649.43 |
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| Net Current Assets (Liabilities) (12,414.75) |
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| Total Assets less Current Liabilities 122,585.25 |
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| Net Assets 122,585.25 Capital and Reserves |
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| Capital - x,xxx Ordinary Shares 1.00 |
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| Current Year Earnings (11,655.08) |
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| Retained Earnings (760.67) |
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| Revaluation Reserve 135,000.00 |
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| Total Capital and Reserves 122,585.25 |
Exchange rates used to convert foreign currency into GBP are shown below. Rates are provided by XE.com unless otherwise stated.
• 31 Oct 2023
- 1.21520 USD (United States Dollar)
Balance Sheet Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research
19 Jul 2024 Page 1 of 1
| SECTION A | SECTION A | Independent Examiners Report | Independent Examiners Report | Independent Examiners Report | Independent Examiners Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTRE FOR ENABLING EA LEARNING & RESEARCH 31/10/2023 Charity No 1189768 |
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| Report to the trustees / members of | CENTRE FOR ENABLING EA LEARNING & RESEARCH |
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| On accounts for the year ended | 31/10/2023 | Charity No | 1189768 |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31/10/2023
Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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 The charity’s gross income exceeded £50,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of CIMA
examiner's statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination. Please consider recommendations listed under SECTION B.
I have no material 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.
reached. |
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| SIGNED: | |
| NAME: | Kamran Hussain |
| DATE: | 28/08/2024 |
| PROFESSION:AL BODY: | CIMA |
| MEMBERSHIP NUMBER: | 1-7AS9HR |
| ADDRESS: | Room 23 Rosehill Business Centre Normanton Road Derby DE23 6RH |
Oct 2018
1
IER
SECTION B
Disclosure
| Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. |
Recommendations for improvement this year: Recommendations for improvement Carried forward: |
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Oct 2018
2
IER