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2021-12-31-accounts

Annual Report

and

unaudited Financial Statements

for the period ending December 2021

https://www.powerof0.org/

Contents

Legal and Administrative information 1
Message from the Board Chair 2
Our objectives 3
Our Activities 4
Early Years Campaign 4
The No Bully Programme 7
Structure, Governance and Management 9
Board of Trustees 9
Policies 9
Global Standards, Regulations and Conventions 9
Financial Review 10
Reserves Policy 10
Trustees' Declaration 11
Independent Examiner’s Report 12
Statement of Financial Activities 13
Balance Sheet 14
Notes to the accounts 15

Legal and Administrative information

Who we are

Power of Zero is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that brings together parents, educators, researchers, NGOs, corporate citizens and philanthropic foundations to ensure the well-being of children in an increasingly online world.

Our trustees

James Sebastian Barker, Chair 25 August 2020 -
Marie Rene Hai Shan Cudenec, Treasurer 25 August 2020 -
Nicholas Carlisle 25 Aug 2020 - 27 Nov 2020
Eva Bishop, Secretary 27 November 2020 -
Simon Hampel 22 September 2020 -
Narmada Guruswamy 27 November 2020 -
Cecilia Zheng 27 November 2020 -
Mandeep Rai 9 February 2021 -
Yasmine Roulleau 20 May 2021 -
Registered Office: 57 Linden Avenue
London NW10 5RG
Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: 1191012
Date of Incorporation: 25th August 2020
Independent Examiner: Louise Alexander, ACMA
3 Upper High Street
Ipswich IP1 3NE
Bankers: Metro Bank plc
1 Southampton Row
London WC1B 5HA

1

Message from the Board Chair

By the time they are eight years old, children in more developed regions of the world average five hours of screen time each day. As school went online during the pandemic, a tipping point was reached and the majority of children spent the majority of their waking hours online, experiencing impacts to their physical and psychological well-being that we are only starting to understand. Children's ability to engage the potential of the Internet for creativity, connectivity and learning will determine their ability to thrive, while lack of skill and intolerance places them at risk of exploitation, exposure to online hate and bullying and becoming addicted to their screens.

On 25 August 2020 we established Power of Zero as a UK registered charity with the mission of ensuring the well-being of children in an increasingly online world. Our name speaks to our commitment to teaching the next generation how to use their power well, online and offline, with zero violence, zero hate and zero bullying. This is the Power of Zero.

Our first campaign focuses on young children ages zero to eight. We want to ensure that every young child learns the life skills that they need to navigate an increasingly online world. The campaign brings together global organisations, corporate citizens, researchers, parents and educators across the world. What unites us is our shared commitment to values of compassion, inclusivity, and the dignity of every young person in the age of the Internet.

Complementing the early years campaign is our work to address online and school bullying. What begins as teasing and power plays in the first years of school becomes the most widespread form of violence to which older children and adolescents are exposed, resulting in lives lost or forever changed. Our No Bully programme trains school leaders and teachers in a system for preventing bullying and cyberbullying, responding effectively when it still occurs. Schools trained by us are able to solve 90% of incidents.

In this first annual report we give you a window into our early years campaign, our No Bully programme and our goals for the next year. We have an ambitious plan to ensure the well-being of children as they grow up in an online world. The only way we will achieve this is through working together. Please reach out to us if you feel moved to join us in this important endeavour.

James Barker Chair of Power of Zero

2

Our objectives

Our objectives are for the advancement of education of children in the United Kingdom and countries across the world. Children are now online from their earliest years, by the time they are eight they average five hours a day online in more developed countries. We want to ensure that every young child learns the life skills that they need for a connected world. We aim to achieve this by:

Charity trustees have a duty to develop strategic plans to ensure that we provide public benefit and achieve our objectives, as set out in our governing document. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set.

The objectives set out above fall under the purposes defined by the Charities Act 2011. We have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives, and in planning our future activities.

3

Our Activities

Our first campaign focuses on young children ages zero to eight. We want to ensure that every young child learns the life skills that they need to navigate an increasingly online world. Complementing the early years campaign is our work to address online and school bullying. Our No Bully programme trains school leaders and teachers in a system for preventing bullying and cyberbullying and responding effectively when it still occurs.

Early Years Campaign

We formed a steering committee to guide this initiative, comprising representatives from our founding partners: UNESCO, UNICEF, Hasbro, AT&T, Microsoft and various NGOs from around the world. We set ourselves the goal of providing early educators and families with learning materials, videos, books, and games to teach young children the skills and values they would need to navigate their online-offline lives.

On 25 August 2020 we established Power of Zero as a registered charity in the United Kingdom that would provide direction, administrative support and fiscal oversight for the campaign. What unites us is our shared commitment to values of kindness, inclusivity, and respect and to giving children the foundation they need to learn, thrive, and succeed in school and in life.

4

Next, we brought together the leading researchers in young children and asked them what are the skills that this generation will need to navigate their online and offline lives. The life skills that we identified are key skills for all our lives. Our goal is to build these as foundational protective factors early in childhood. The twelve core social and emotional skills that every young child needs to learn are defined in the chart below.

Parents and grandparents recognise more than anyone the dangers and opportunities of growing up in the age of the Internet. In 2021 we established the Power of Zero Parents Club to support our early years campaign. The club brings together twenty families from around the world to sponsor the Power of Zero video series for young children. The twelve videos are designed for co-watching with parents, grandparents and siblings, and they challenge children to learn the twelve Powers of Zero. By the end of 2021 we had families from Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, England

6

and the Channel Islands and to date $100,000 USD has been donated or pledged. Thanks to this generous support we will be able to commission FableVision, an award winning video production company based in Boston, Massachusetts, to start production of the video series early in 2022.

Our immediate plans involve the following four specific areas of activity, each of which will advance our objectives and provide public benefit:

1. Power of Zero video series We will develop animated characters and story lines to bring social and emotional learning to life through a video series and story books for parents and teachers. In parallel with this we are looking for a gaming partner to feature these characters in an online game. The Power of Zero characters will provide a consistent presence across platforms in order to engage young children and maximise their learning.

2. Lessons and learning activities for early educators to teach the

powers of zero . We plan to create a complete set of digital lessons for Power of Zero, 24 lessons for each age group: 3 to 5 years old, Kindergarten and 6-8 years. The learning materials will feature the Power of Zero characters and be supported through the video series.

3. Engage country level NGOs to localise and distribute the lessons

for their region . We will work with regional partners to localise and distribute Power of Zero materials for early educators and families. We are planning to launch the campaign in the United Kingdom and in selected countries in South East Asia, the region that has the highest Internet use by children in the world.

4. Parent facing awareness initiative . We plan to engage parents and caregivers in raising their young children with the life skills they need for an online world through story books, the video series and a compelling PSA (Public Services Announcement).

6

The No Bully Programme

Early in 2021 we secured the rights to the No Bully programme, developed in the United States to train school leaders and teachers through a series of interventions for ending bullying. Schools trained in the No Bully System are able to resolve 90% of incidents of bullying, making this one of the most impactful programmes available[1] .

7

1 Solution Team: Outcomes of a Target-Centered Approach to Resolving School Bullying. DeNike, M. & Gordon, H. Contemporary School Psychology (2019).

We are guiding these schools in how to develop an anti-bullying protocol that defines how everyone will respond to incidents of bullying and cyberbullying, and how to create a plan for teaching students how to interact without bullying and aggression. These are systemic changes that support a bully-free school. We provide coaching modules to guide school leaders and teachers through each step of the process, leading to the creation of a culture where incidents of bullying are few and far between and where compassion and inclusivity shape people’s daily interactions throughout the school community.

In parallel with this we provide training for teachers and parents. For a school to become bully-free, all teachers need to understand what bullying is and how to prevent it whenever it occurs. Our workshops provide a common language around student bullying and harassment, and train participants in prevention and intervention skills, enabling a unified approach.

With over 600,000 teachers in schools in the United Kingdom, we urgently need to scale our training programme so that it can reach schools nationwide. We are in discussions with a leading educational charity to create a whole school programme for the United Kingdom. We plan to launch a pilot programme in September 2022.

8

Structure, Governance and Management

Board of Trustees

Power of Zero is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed in accordance with the terms of its written Constitution. The Board of Trustees is responsible for its management.

Trustee appointments are made by the Board of Trustees in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The trustees who manage Power of Zero and who have held office for all or some part of our first accounting period from 25 August 2020 to 31 December 2021, are:

James Sebastian Barker, Chair 25 August 2020 onwards
Marie Rene Hai Shan Cudenec, Treasurer 25 August 2020 onwards
Eva Bishop, Secretary 27 November 2020 onwards
Simon Hampel 22 September 2020 onwards
Narmada Guruswamy 27 November 2020 onwards
Cecilia Zheng 27 November 2020 onwards
Mandeep Rai 9 February 2021 onwards
Yasmine Roulleau 20 May 2021 onwards

Our chief executive officer, and only paid employee as at 31 December 2021, is Nicholas Carlisle.

Policies

We have commitment to upholding the highest standards of safeguarding, ensuring that our safeguarding measures are robust and reflect the environments in which we work. Since 25 August 2020 when Power of Zero was incorporated, the Trustees have approved and adopted a Conflict of Interest Policy; a Safeguarding of Children Policy; and Sponsorship Policy.

Global Standards, Regulations and Conventions

As we work for children all over the world, we must ensure that we live up to the standards and regulations that we demand of all actors influencing children’s lives. Globally, Power of Zero adheres to national and international standards and regulations. We are also committed to supporting the implementation of internationally recognised conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with a focus on promoting and protecting the rights of children with disabilities.

9

Financial Review

The Statement of Financial Activities shows income of £129,422 for the first period of trading: 25th August 2020 – 31 December 2021, of which £73,077 was raised for the Parent Club, towards the Power of Zero videos and parent toolkit. Expenditure for the period was £32,915, resulting in a surplus of £96,507 resulting in £23,420 unrestricted funds and £73,077 restricted funds.

Reserves Policy

The trustees aim to keep 3 months’ of operating costs in the charity’s unrestricted reserves. This would equate to unrestricted funds of £8,228 of the first year’s trading, but £114,681 of budgeted expenditure for 2022.

10

Trustees' Declaration

Trustees’ Responsibilities

The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees’ report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law they are required to prepare our financial statements in accordance with UK Accounting Standards.

Under charity law, the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and the excess of income over expenditure for that period. In preparing each of the group and charitable company financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate and proper accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the charity and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charitable company’s website.

The Trustees declare that they have approved the Trustees' report above.

Signed on behalf of the Charity's Trustees

James Barker Chair

11

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF POWER OF ZERO

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Power of Zero for the period ended 31 December 2021, which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities (incorporating an income and expenditure account), Balance Sheet and related notes.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the CIO, 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 CIO’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Act 2011. In carrying out my examination I have followed the 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 matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

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.

Louise Alexander, ACMA

3 Upper High Street Ipswich IP1 3NE

Date: 13th May 2022

12

POWER OF ZERO

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total
Note Funds Funds 2021
£ £ £
Income from:
Donations & legacies 3 44,443 73,077 117,520
Charitable activities 4 11,902 - 11,902
- - -
Other incoming sources
Total Income 56,345 73,077 129,422
Expenditure on:
-
Raising funds 2,932 2,932
Charitable activities 29,983 - 29,983
Total Expenditure 5 32,915 - 32,915
Net (Expenditure)/Income for the year before transfers 23,430 73,077 96,507
Transfers between funds - - -
Net (expenditure)/income for the year 23,430 73,077 96,507
Reconciliation of funds
- - -
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward 23,430 73,077 96,507
----- End of picture text -----

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year and all income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The accompanying notes on pages 9 to 13 form an integral part of these financial statements.

13

POWER OF ZERO

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2021

Note
Current assets
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
Liabilities
Creditors falling due within one year
12
Net current assets
Net assets
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
14
Total charity funds
2021
£
28,857
69,185
98,042
(1,535)
2021
£
96,507
96,507
23,430
73,077
96,507

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees

on 4 May 2022 and signed on its behalf by:

James Barker Chair of Trustees

The accompanying notes on pages 9 to 12 form an integral part of these financial statements.

14

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

POWER OF ZERO

1 Accounting Policies

a) Basis of preparation

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below:

b) Going concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of going concern is appropriate and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charitable incorporated organisation to continue as a going concern. The trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one period from the date of the approval of these financial statements. In particular, the trustees have considered the charitable incorporated organisation’s forecasts and projections and have taken account of pressures on fee income. The occurrence of the coronavirus, which has expanded post period end, is a global threat. However, in the opinion of the Board of trustees it is not considered an event subsequent to the balance sheet date with a material effect on the financial statements for the period ended 31 July 2020. While the spread of the coronavirus will have a negative effect on activities, it is currently not possible to make a reliable estimate on the depth of impact on these activities. After making enquiries, the trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charitable incorporated organisation has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and for at least 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements. The charitable incorporated organisation therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its financial statements.

c) Incoming resources

Voluntary income and donations are accounted for on an accruals basis. All income in the Statement of Financial Activities is shown gross of the associated costs and is accounted for where there is entitlement to the income, it is probable that the benefits associated with it will flow to the charity and it can be reliably measured. Income from charitable activities is recognised as it is earned. Where amounts are billed in advance of the activity being carried out, the income is deferred.

d) Resources expended

All expenses are accounted for on an accruals basis. Wherever possible, costs are allocated directly to the appropriate activity; other overhead, support and governance costs common to all activities are apportioned between those activities based on their relative output.

Expenditure incurred in connection with the specific objects of the charity is included under the heading 'Charitable activities'.

The irrecoverable element of VAT is included with the item of expense to which it relates.

e) Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

All assets acquired for continuing use by the charity costing more than £500 are initially capitalised at cost and measured subsequently at cost less depreciation and any impairment losses. Depreciation of tangible fixed assets is calculated to write off their cost or valuation less any residual value over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Computer & Office Equipment - four years straight line Fixtures & Fittings - four years straight line

f) Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts.

g) Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value.

h) Funds

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the charity and have not been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes.

i) Taxation

The Charity is an exempt approved charity in accordance with the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.

15

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

POWER OF ZERO

2 Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are cased on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an on-going basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are outlined below.

3 Donations

3
Donations
Microsoft
Donations from individuals
Donations from family trusts
Lil Bulb's Animal Welfare Organisation
4
Income from Charitable Activities
No Bully programme
5
Total resources expended
Raising funds
Charitable activities:
Project delivery
Marketing & promotion
Staff salaries
General administration
Accounting
Professional & legal
Raising
Funds
2021
£
2,932
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,932
Funds
2021
£
25,424
9,372
-
9,647
44,443
Funds
2021
£
11,902
11,902
Governance
2021
£
-
-
-
-
-
2,013
1,470
3,483
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Funds
2021
£
-
45,061
28,016
-
73,077
Funds
2021
£
-
-
Charitable
Activities
2021
£
-
5,844
2,715
17,280
661
-
-
26,500
Restricted
Restricted
Total
2021
£
25,424
54,433
28,016
9,647
117,520
Total
2021
£
11,902
11,902
Total
2021
£
2,932
5,844
2,715
17,280
661
2,013
1,470
32,915

6 Independent Examiner's remuneration

The Independent Examiner's remuneration amounts to a fee of £1,100.

16

POWER OF ZERO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

7 Staff Costs

Staff Costs
Wages and salaries
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
2021
£
17,000
-
280
17,280

The average number of staff employed during the period was 1.

The Manager is the sole key management personnel. The total employee benefits of the Key Management Personnel were £18,158.

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

8 Trustees

No benefits were paid to trustees, nor expenses reimbursed to trustees during the period.

10 Financial instruments
Carrying amount of financial assets
Debt instruments measured at amortised cost
Carrying amount of financial liabilities
Measured at amortised cost
11 Debtors
Trade debtors
Prepayments and Accrued Income
Other Debtors
12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Trade creditors
Other taxes and social security costs
Accruals
Other creditors
2021
£
28,857
1,247
2021
£
-
28,153
704
28,857
2021
£
-
288
1,100
147
1,535

13 Related Party Transactions

Trustee James Barker donated £2,000 to Power of Zero during the period.

Trustee Marie Cudennac is the spouse of CEO Nicholas Carlisle (see Note 7: Staff costs).

There have been no other related party transactions in the period that require disclosure.

17

POWER OF ZERO

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED) FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

14 Restricted Funds for the period

Parents Club Brought
Forward
£
-
-
Incoming
Resources
£
73,077
73,077
Resources
Expended
£
-
-
Transfers
between funds
£
-
-
Carried
Forward
£
73,077
73,077

Restricted funds for the period were made up of the following:

Parents Club brings together families from around the world, donating towards the Power of Zero videos and parent toolkit.

15 Analysis of Net Assets between Funds

At 31 December 2021
Current assets
Creditors due within one year
2021
Unrestricted
funds
£
24,965
(1,535)
23,430
2021
Restricted
funds
£
73,077
-
73,077
2021
Total
funds
£
98,042
(1,535)
96,507

18

Power of Zero exists to help every child reach their full potential in an increasingly online world. We know we can’t do this alone. Together with parents and educators, supporters and partners, we work to help every child learn the life skills they need to navigate their online-offline lives.

powerof0.org