Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 1st July 2024 to 30[th] June 2025
Charity name: Open Palm
Charity registration number: 1190203
Objectives and Activities
| Objectives and Activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference | ||
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | Open Palm’s purposes are to advance education and promote racial equality. We achieve this by delivering educational life-skills programmes, improving learning environments and addressing racial inequality. Our mission is to close the opportunity gap for young people so that no one is left behind, regardless of their ethnic or social background. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 | Open Palm (‘OP’) furthers its purposes through three key initiatives: Advancing education (I) Making education more accessible to students, by delivering tech and academic resources to under-funded schools. This improves students’ access to learning resources, helps them to better engage with lessons and homework, and improves attainment. This is delivered through our‘Project Spark’. Promoting racial equality (ii) Addressing disparities in income and employment for Black, Mixed Heritage, Asian and Ethnic Minorities, by delivering free life- skills courses that also offer nationally recognised accreditations. These courses equip under-represented and disadvantaged young people for skills for success, thereby improving prospects. This is delivered through our WYZ® courses and related workshops. (iii) Promoting knowledge of different racial groups, in order improve race relations and eliminate racial discrimination. Amplifying voices, tackling negative stereotypes and normalising achievement within Black, Mixed Heritage, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities through awareness initiatives. These include sharing career insights and interviews with changemakers in addition to celebrating everyday people in these communities. These activities help to raise aspirations of ethnically under-represented youths. This is delivered through ourProject Enlighten’. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission onpublic benefit |
Para 1.18 | Open Palm’sTrustees have had due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. The spirit of this guidance |
is embedded within Open Palm’s purpose and value s and drives decision-making when considering and delivering initiatives.
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Policy on grant making | Para 1.38 | OP does not perform any grant-making activities and as such, it does not have a grant making policy. |
| Policy on social investment including program related investment |
Para 1.38 | OP has not made social investments; whilst it applies its funds to further their purposes, they do not aim to make a financial return. Further, OP does not make program related investments (such as granting loans, investing in complex high profile or regeneration projects or pooled funds). |
| Contribution made by volunteers | Para 1.38 | Regular direct debits are made by some ofOP’s Trusteesvia approved giving channels such as JustGiving. OP has relied on the dedication and skill of all Trustees and volunteers who support the charity’s initiatives. Trustees and volunteers have helped us deliver and execute on numerous key activities, including creating and delivering WYZ® courses, delivering youth workshops, supporting fundraising events, and delivering online events such as OP’s one-year anniversary celebration and educational interview segments. |
| Other | N/A |
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Number of young people reached • We’venow reached just under 20,000 students since inception! How did we reach them? • Students were engaged through Career Insight Days, Work Experience Programmes, WYZ for Work courses and donations of technology equipment through Project Spark. Throughout the year, we also shared articles and career stories on our website, highlighting opportunities and experiences across different industries including law, technology, design, consulting, and culture. These stories showcased students’ reflections and achievements, helping to inspire others while strengthening awareness of the range of career pathways available through Open Palm’s programmes. Featured articles: • Inspiring futures: a transformational week at Mayer Brown — https://www.openpalm.org.uk/post/inspiring-futures-a transformational-week-at-mayer-brown • Shaping Spaces, Shaping Futures: Junior Design Week at Steelcase— https://www.openpalm.org.uk/post/shaping- spaces-shaping-futures-junior-design-week-at-steelcase |
| • | Cracking the consulting code: our career day with |
|---|---|
| AlixPartners—https://www.openpalm.org.uk/post/cracking- | |
| the-consulting-code-our-career-day-with-alixpartners | |
| • | New year, new tech donations- |
| https://www.openpalm.org.uk/post/new-year-newtech | |
| donations | |
| • | Open Palm visits the Pardner Hand Exhibition at the Bank of |
| England Museum-https://www.openpalm.org.uk/post/open- | |
| palm-visits-the-pardner-hand-exhibition-at-the-bank-of- | |
| england-museum | |
| Our Focus | |
| • | We remain dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap by |
| giving young people meaningful access to experiences that | |
| inspire ambition and build employability. Our focus is on | |
| creating fair and inclusive routes into education and | |
| employment by providing practical exposure, skills | |
| development, and mentoring. Through our initiatives, we | |
| aim to ensure that every young person, regardless of | |
| background, has the confidence and opportunity to reach | |
| their full potential. | |
| Collaborations and Partnerships | |
| • | HSBC: Hosted a Technology Insight Day giving students |
| practical exposure to technology careers and the chance to | |
| hear from industry professionals. | |
| • | Mayer Brown: Delivered both a Legal Work Experience Week |
| and a Career Insight Day, enabling students to explore | |
| careers in corporate law and gain a practical understanding | |
| of working within an international law firm. Students took | |
| part in interactive workshops, met with legal professionals, | |
| and learned about pathways into the sector. | |
| • | Steelcase: Conducted a Design and Manufacturing Insight |
| Day and Work Experience Week, introducing students to | |
| careers in design, manufacturing, and workplace innovation. | |
| Participants explored design thinking, sustainability, and the | |
| role of technology in shaping modern workspaces. | |
| • | Which?: Hosted a Consumer Rights and Advocacy Insight |
| Day, helping students understand how consumer rights | |
| protect people in everyday life and showcasing a range of | |
| roles in the sector. | |
| • | AlixPartners: Worked with Open Palm to open part time and |
| full time positions to Open Palm students first, creating | |
| valuable employment opportunities and supporting their | |
| transition into professional roles. | |
| Details of all career insight days are available on Open Palm’s | |
| website. | |
| Feedback | |
| • | Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with |
| many expressing that they felt more confident in their future | |
| career decisions after taking part in our programmes. | |
| Parents also shared their appreciation for the opportunities | |
| provided,expressing gratitude that their children were able |
to take part and gain valuable experiences that will support their future ambitions. Brand Awareness & Social Media Engagement • Our social media presence grew significantly, with more young people engaging with our content. The career insights, student success stories, and event highlights reached a wider audience, encouraging more young people to apply for our programs. • Alongside this growth, our content strategy became more intentional. We started our journey toward richer storytelling and introduced more visually engaging formats such as shortform videos, carousels, and interactive polls. These changes not only increased overall visibility but also strengthened the sense of community among our followers. • These improvements place us in a strong position to continue building trust, awareness, and meaningful connections with the young people we serve
Additional information (optional)
| Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) | Additional information (optional) |
|---|---|---|
| You maychoose to include further statements where relevant about: | ||
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Achieved a wider reach through increased student engagement and higher turnout at Insight Days, supported by improved communication and regular newsletters. A key goal this year was to reduce student dropouts by ensuring clearer communication ahead of events, providing more accurate attendance numbers and smoother coordination with partner organisations. |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | Fundraising efforts were aligned to expectations. Our regular income from Partnerships was enough to leave us in a healthy position to fund our actives on an on-going basis. |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | N/A |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Donations We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the individuals, families, and corporate partners who have generously supported our work throughout the year. Your contributions whether financial donations, in-kind support, or volunteer time have been vital in helping us continue our mission and reach more young people across the UK. Every pound raised directly strengthens our programmes, enabling us to create meaningful opportunities, provide resources, and make a lasting difference for the young people we serve. Your continued commitment reminds us that our impact is only possible through the collective generosity and belief of those who stand alongside us. Financial donations for the year were lower than the previous year due to the absence of the same major grant from the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments Future Foundation (CISI) of £40,000. Donations for the year totalled £22,058 of which: • AlixPartners - £10,000 • Charles Stanley Wealth Managers - £7,574 • JustGiving - £1,533 • Charities Aid Foundation - £1,728 • Co-Op - £500 • AXA - £300 • Other direct giving - £2,068 Expenditure We continue to take a careful and responsible approach to managing our resources, ensuring that every pound spent delivers the greatest possible impact. The trustees remain committed to strong financial stewardship, maintaining close oversight of costs while prioritising expenditure that directly advances our charitable objectives. We continually review our spending to ensure value for money, efficiency, and alignment with our mission. This disciplined approach allows us to maximise the reach and effectiveness of our programmes while maintaining the long-term sustainability and resilience of the charity. Expenses for the period totalled £13,295 comprising, • Project Spark (£5,124)–Supporting under-funded schools in the UK by providing technology devices and academic resources, such as calculators. We do this to remove barriers to enable students to learn. • Career Insight Days (£2,751) - We partner with corporates to provide educational career insight days, giving young people the opportunity to network with professionals and learn more about different roles within a company. The cost primarily covers travel expenses for young people to reduce the affordability barrier to accessing our offering. • IT Software (£1,216) - Our digital capabilities allow us to work remotely and efficiently, supporting automation and safeguarding data privacy. • Volunteer expenses (£762)–We cover the cost of volunteer travel to support our career insight days and work experience. |
|---|---|---|
| • Programme Software (£709) - This is the cost of our scalable online learning platform which hosts our courses. • Other overheads (£2,733)–This includes a combination of costs for volunteer DBS checks, insurance, accountancy fees, postage & couriers, and virtual office costs. OP had no paid staff working for the charity during the year. Closing position The year concluded with a surplus of £8,763, which will be allocated to strengthening our cash reserves and ensuring the charity’s financial sustainability for future activities. This prudent approach leaves Open Palm in a strong and stable position as we look ahead to 2025/26, enabling us to continue expanding our programmes and outreach. With many young people still facing challenges as they take their first steps into employment and financial independence, our focus remains on empowering them with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to build secure and fulfilling futures. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | Reserves are that part ofOP’sunrestricted funds that is freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes.We maintain free unrestricted reserves: • to provide a level of working capital that protects the continuity of our core work • to provide a level of funding for unexpected opportunities • to provide cover for risks such as unforeseen expenditure or unanticipated loss of income. The board of trustees will review the above criteria with reference to our strategy and Annual Plan and determine the target level of free reserves to meet these. The Board of Trustees will at times designate funds from free reserves for significant project costs or replacement of major assets. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | The total reserves held at year end are £65,632. These are entirely unrestricted. |
| Reasons for holdingzero reserves | Para 1.22 | N/a |
| Details of fund materiallyin deficit | Para 1.24 | N/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a goingconcern |
Para 1.23 | There are no matters of material significance to report or any known uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed,royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Foundation Model Constitution |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Trustees are selected based on a range of considerations, including their skillset, experience, interest and commitment. Appointments to the Board are approved by unanimous decision of existing Trustees. Existing Trustees complete an annual skills audit, which is a self- assessment of their existing skillset and any skills gaps. This document is considered by the Trustee Board and gaps are plugged through recruitment (e.g. recruitment of a Trustee or other volunteer(s)) and/or training. |
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | Trustees annually reflect on their skills and no less than every 2 years complete a skills assessment. The output of the skills audit is discussed at a Board meeting. Skills gaps are addressed either through training or recruitment of additional volunteers possessing the necessary skillset. Trustees annually complete training, including on the topic of safeguarding; the training content varies each year to ensure a breadth of coverage. |
|---|---|---|
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | The charity is run by Trustees, who in turn receive advice from Independent Advisor (covering Governance & Risk matters) and Advisory Group members who support particular initiatives. The charity is run wholly by volunteers. There is a lead volunteer structure covering a range of key areas, from People (HR) to Fundraising. Each lead volunteer has a team of volunteers supporting them, with directional support provided by Trustees unless the lead volunteer is a Trustee. Lead volunteers provide updates to their Trustee champion, who in turn provides visibility and escalates any issues to the Board. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | The charity collaborates with various organisations, including other youth organisations. However, these relationships are informal. There are no related parties, and the charity is not part of a wider organisational group. |
| Other | N/A |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charityname | Open Palm |
|---|---|
| Other name the charityuses | |
| Registered charitynumber | 1190203 |
| Charity’s principal address | 86-90 Paul Street London EC2A 4NE |
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynette Emesibe |
Trustee & Fundraising Lead |
25 April 2021 to present |
Sophie McBaiden, Ralph McBaiden | |
| Sophie McBaiden |
Trustee & Chair | 01 July 2020 to present |
Ralph McBaiden |
| 3 4 5 6 |
Ralph McBaiden | Trustee & Treasurer |
01 July 2020 to present |
Sophie McBaiden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmanuella Omolara Akala |
Trustee | 01 June 2023 to 01 August 2025 |
Lynette Emesibe, Ralph McBaiden, Sophie McBaiden | |
| Roshan Ramlugan |
Trustee | 15 July 2024 to present |
Lynette Emesibe, Ralph McBaiden, Sophie McBaiden, Emmanuella Omolara Akala |
|
| Jaisha Bruce | Trustee | 15 July 2024 to present |
Lynette Emesibe, Ralph McBaiden, Sophie McBaiden, Emmanuella Omolara Akala |
Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved
Director name N/A
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
| Trustee name | Dates acted if not for wholeyear | |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | ||
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
| Description of the assets held in this capacity |
N/A |
|---|---|
| Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects |
N/A |
| Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets |
N/A |
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser | Name Address |
Name Address |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Advisor– Governance & Risk |
Raz Hussain | 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE |
| Independent Advisor– Partnerships |
Kate Griffiths Lambeth |
86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE |
| Independent Advisor– Technology |
Hakan Candaner | 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE |
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
No staff members applicable – all individuals are volunteers
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
N/A
Other optional information
None
Declarations
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
~~SIGN~~ Signature(s) Full name(s) Ralph McBaiden Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Trustee - Chair Date 21/02/2026
| Charity Name: Open Palm | Charity Name: Open Palm | Charity Name: Open Palm | No: 1190203 | No: 1190203 | No: 1190203 | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
1st July 2024 | To | 30th June 2025 | ||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||||
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 22,058 - - - - - - - 22,058 - - - 22,058 4,252 8,526 - - - - - - - 12,779 - - - 12,779 9,280 - 56,353 65,632 |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
Total funds to the nearest £ 22,058 - - - - - - - 22,058 - - - 22,058 4,252 8,526 - - - - - - - 12,779 - - - 12,779 9,280 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
||
| Donations | 22,058 | 53,969 | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
22,058 | 53,969 | |||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||
| - | |||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | - | - | |||||
| Total receipts A3 Payments |
|||||||
| 53,969 | |||||||
| Charitable activities | 4,252 | 5,387 | |||||
| Support costs | 8,526 | 57,424 | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| - | - | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | 12,779 | 62,811 | |||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||
| Office equipment & IT | - | 929 | |||||
| - | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 929 | |||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end |
|||||||
| 63,740 | |||||||
| 9,280 | - | - |
9,280 | - 9,771 | |||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 56,353 | - | - | 56,353 | 66,124 | |||
| 65,632 | - | - |
65,632 | 56,352 |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
27/02/2024
1
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Categories Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets |
Signature Details Bank balance - Main account Bank balance - Reserve account Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Office equpiment & IT Details - Details Details SIGN |
Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 33,869 - 31,763 - - 65,632 - OK OK Unrestricted funds Restricted funds to nearest £ to nearest £ 957 - - - - - - - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - Fund to which liability relates Amount due (optional) - - - - - Print Name RALPH MCBAIDEN |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| OK | |||
| Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| Current value (optional) |
|||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| When due (optional) |
|||
| Date of approval |
|||
| RALPH MCBAIDEN | 21/02/2026 | ||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
27/02/2024
2