## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01/01/2024 To 31/12/2024**
## **Charity name: Innocence Project London**
## **Charity registration number: 1190617**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The Innocence Project London (IPL)
provides students with the opportunity to
review and investigate cases of convicted
individuals who have maintained their
innocence but have exhausted the criminal
appeals process. The aim of our work is to
submit an application to the Criminal Cases
Review Commission (CCRC) on behalf of
our clients. The CCRC is an independent
body which reviews possible miscarriages
of justice in the United Kingdom. In order
for the CCRC to refer a case back to the
Court of Appeal they need to identify new
evidence, or a new legal argument not
identified at the time of the trial, that might
have changed the whole outcome of the
trial if the jury had been given a chance to
consider it. The IPL supports convicted
individuals to make these applications pro
bono, filling a gap in the criminal legal
system where there is limited funding for
lawyers to undertake this work|
|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|•
By providing administrative and
expert support in collaboration with
other public bodies to convicted
individuals whose convictions may
be unsafe
•
By making submissions to the
Criminal Cases Review Commission
on behalf of individuals who claim to
be wrongfully convicted or who have
suffered a miscarriage of justice
•
By creating awareness about
wrongful convictions and
miscarriages of justice in England
and Wales
•
By creating awareness of issues
concerning the disclosure of
evidence post-conviction through
conducting research and by
publishing useful results|
|||•
By promoting education and
conducting research into areas of
criminal law|
|---|---|---|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The trustees have complied with the
Charity Commission’s guidance on public
benefit and are fully aware of the charity’s
objects and purpose. The trustees have
fulfilled their duties with the public benefit of
IPL in mind at all times|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|The IPL is not a grant-making charity and
does not have a policy on grant making.|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|The board of trustees are continuing to
explore social investment as a vehicle for
fundraising and work on a fundraising
policy has started and a final document is
projected to be completed by mid 2026|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|During the reporting period, 100 lawyers
from Weil, Gotshal & Manges (London)
LLP provided 1000 hours of pro bono legal
support with the case assessment process.
The IPL was also supported by 5 lawyers
working pro bono alongside students
providing support to the active cases|
|Other|||
## **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|In the reporting period the charity has:
1. Worked on five cases and
submitted one application to the
CCRC. Five individuals received
work on their claim to innocence
that otherwise would not be able to
afford it.
2. Released four new Podcasts
discussing the work of IPL and its
volunteers
3. Published an article on Inside Times
was published in order to raise
awareness on the work of IPL to
prisoners.
4. Published updates of IPL work via
the website and a digital newsletter.
5. Hosted the IPL annual symposium
in April 2024 which was attended by
90 people
6. Organised a fundraising drive in
October 2024 on International
Wrongful Conviction Day which
raised funds and awareness of IPL
work
7. Co-hosted a webinar with the
Harvard Clubs of Ireland and
Baltimore in November 2024 co-
hosted a webinar with the Harvard
Clubs of Ireland and Baltimore
|
|---|---|---|
|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements|where relevant about:|
|---|---|---|
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|Two new trustees were recruited, one with
primary responsibility for social media and
a Treasurer.|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|In the first quarter of 2024, IPL set up a
partnership with Alcotraz a prison-themed
immersive theatrical experience with
locations across the UK. Under the
agreement, Alcotraz donates a percentage
of their revenue to IPL.|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41||
|Other|||
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|At the end of the financial year 2024, IPL
had a surplus of £16K reflecting primarily
the income from the new partnership with
Alcotraz.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|NA|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£10|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**NA**|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**NA**|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**NA**|
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|IPL has a partnership with Alcotraz that
provides a percentage of their ticket
revenues to the charity. Donations from
individuals are another source of income.
Work is ongoing to seek funding from trusts
and foundations as well as corporations.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**NA**|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**NA**|
|Other|||
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|
Para 1.25|The IPL is governed by a formal
Constitution and registration with the
Charities Commission which is subject to
formal regulations in England and Wales.|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|The IPL is structured as a CIO and is
governed by a formal Constitution
document that outlines the following:
•
Objectives and powers
•
Application of income and property
•
Benefits and payments to charity
trustees and connected persons
•
Scope and powers permitting
trustees' or connected persons'
benefits
•
Conflicts of interest and/or loyalty
•
Charity trustees
•
Eligibility for trusteeship
•
Decision making powers
•
Meeting protocols|
|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 appointed in a standard
interview process by at least three
Board members.
•
Apart from the first charity trustees,
every appointed trustee must be
appointed by a resolution passed at a
properly convened meeting of the
charity trustees.
•
In selecting individuals as appointed
trustees, the trustees must have regard
to the skills, knowledge, and experience
for the administration of the CIO.
•
A trustee ceases to hold office if he or
she:
**1)**Retires by notifying the CIO in
writing (if enough charity trustees
will remain in office when notice of
resignation takes effect to form a
quorum for meetings)
**2)**Is absent without permission from
the charity trustees, from all
meetings held within six months and
the trustees resolve that his or her
office be vacated|
||||
**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|The charity trustees may delegate any of
their powers or functions to a committee or
committees, and, if they do, they shall
determine the terms and conditions on
which the delegation is made. The charity
trustees may alter those terms and
conditions or revoke the delegation|
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**NA**|
|---|---|---|
|Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|The Innocence Project London is based at
the University of Greenwich which also
provides office space and ad hoc
administrative support to the project whose
students undertake the work|
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Innocence Project London|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|1190617|
|Charity’s principal address|University of Greenwich, Park Row, Greenwich SE10 9LS|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee(if any)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||James Cairns||09/12/21||
||Gurvir Gill||09/12/21||
||Alexa Curtis||01/07/24||
||Lisa Helfer||09/12/21||
||Nuala Walsh||09/12/21||
||Rossana Rocchini||01/07/24||
||Isabelle Brennan||01/01/25||
||Katherine
Youssouf||01/01/25||
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– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
**Director name Louise Hewitt**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year**
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets held in this capacity
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Type of**|**Name**|**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|**adviser**|||
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** Nuala Walsh **Full name(s)** Rossana Rocchini **Position (eg Secretary,** Treasurer Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 16 October 2025