Annual Report:
1 November 2020 - 31 October 2021
The Polar Citizen Science Collective
Registered charity number: 1191998
A Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered on 27 October 2020
Registered Address: 27 Oaktree Crescent Cockermouth CA13 9HR
WHO WE ARE
The Organization
The objects of the The Polar Citizen Science Collective (also referred to informally as the Polar Collective) are, for the public benefit, to advance and promote scientific knowledge, understanding and education on any aspect of polar regions and related areas, in particular but not exclusively, environmental protection and improvement, by initiating, facilitating, coordinating and encouraging international scientific research activity in polar regions. It is governed by a trust deed.
The Polar Collective creates opportunities for research and public education through citizen science, leveraging the reach of polar travelers to enhance understanding and protection of the polar regions.
High costs and the complexity of access to the polar regions are often prohibitive to Arctic and Antarctic research. Meanwhile, an extensive network of ship and land-based tour operators, carrying engaged polar travelers is under-utilized for the purposes of science.
We aim to meet the needs of the polar science community by engaging travellers in data collection projects. We focus primarily on ship-based tourism but also aim to engage with land-based operations. While citizen science is a key method by which we aim to collect data, we do not let this focus prevent us from supporting other worthy scientific projects that could be carried out aboard polar tourism vessels, whether by carrying trained scientists and observers or by instrumentation of the ships themselves.
The primary ways in which we support citizen science is by creating training materials, promoting projects to tour operators, explaining how to integrate these projects into daily operations and by providing coordination between data collection teams and project leads. We also undertake outreach to the science community to advertise the existence of what has the potential to be the greatest oceanic research fleet on the planet, and to generate new data collection projects. Finally, we work directly with scientists to assist them in creating projects suitable for placement within polar tour operations.
The trustees believe that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers or duties.
The People
Many people make up the Polar Collective including Board Members, our Secretariat, Advisors and Friends of the organization. An up-to-date list is maintained online at the following web address: https://polarcollective.org/team
The Polar Collective is guided by a board of trustees. This comprises five members who undertake strategic planning and high level decision making for the Polar Collective. They have varied backgrounds comprising polar guiding, governance of polar tourism, science, and the charitable sector. All have an interest in polar regions and their protection.
The Board
The board was made up of the following members during this financial period:
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Laura Smith (Chair)
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Amanda Lynnes
-
Brandon Harvey
-
Anna Kettley
-
Alex Cowan (Treasurer)
It has been identified that many of the members of the board come from similar backgrounds within the polar tourism community. To address this lack of diversity of background, recruitment is sought outside this community, while still seeking out those with an interest in the polar regions. Recruitment is sought within the polar scientific community and also with other stakeholder groups such as the Friends of South Georgia. New board members are elected through a vote of the board.
In addition to the board, the Polar Collective is made up of several other groups and individuals:
Company Secretary
In recognition of our need to thoroughly address the need to correctly structure and govern the organisation, a company secretary, Robin Graham, was recruited on 22 October 2020. Robin has assisted with ensuring that the Polar Collective is rigorous in its governance and administration.
Secretariat
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Annette Bombosch
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Liz Teague
Secretariat members do much of the vital day to day and technical work required by the Polar Collective, such as producing contracts, creating documents and working with scientific leads and polar tour operators. While they do not possess a vote on board-level decisions, their advice is sought when appropriate before decisions are made due to their crucial role in the organisation. They bring an understanding of both the scientific process and also polar operations, creating the special skill set that Polar Collective uses to marry science and polar tourism.
Currently the Secretariat work primarily on a voluntary basis, contributing hours roughly equivalent to a part time employee. It is the intention of the board to change this situation in the near future and treat the secretariat as employees once finances allow.
The Founders
The Founders are the original founding members of the Polar Collective. Several left the board before incorporation as a charity due to other commitments or so that they can fill other needed roles such as within the Secretariat. Currently, an informal verbal agreement exists whereby the Founders are kept informed of the Polar Collective’s operations and activities.
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Ted Cheeseman (Advisory Board)
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Lauren Farmer (Advisory Board)
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Bob Gilmore (Advisory Board)
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Annette Bombosch (Secretariat)
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Alex Cowan (Board)
Advisory Board
The advisory board consists of a mixture of experts on polar tourism operations, polar science and citizen science. Their expertise is sought on an ad-hoc basis, for example when researching or developing new projects. They do not possess any voting rights.
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Lauren Farmer
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Bob Gilmore
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Ted Cheeseman
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Audrey Taylor
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Penny Wagner
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Ben Wallis
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Allison Cusick
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Susan Adie
WHAT WE’VE DONE
In the previous financial year we identified several priorities. The below table briefly summarises our ambitions for the year and what we did in pursuit of these goals:
Strategic Planning and Goals Met
| Strategic Planning and Goals Met | |
|---|---|
| Our Ambition | What We Did |
| Theory of Change | We engaged a research and evaluation specialist to help us develop our theory of change as organisation. This process was critical in setting out our purpose, key objectives and deliverables that we are working towards as a charity |
| Strategic Planning | The board engaged a strategic planning expert and undertook three sessions. Strengths and weaknesses of the Polar Collective were identified and priorities for the future defined. |
| Further development of documentation and procedure to govern project development and operator relationships |
The secretariat, under the direction of the board, completed SOP documents outlining our relationship with tour operators. |
| Fundraising | The board began the process for finding a fundraising expert. We signed up for Amazon Smile, Amazon’s fundraising program for charities. We joined One Percent for the Planet. We engaged in negotiations with tour operators in pursuit of donations, with hopes that the launch of the training platform would result in significant donation income. |
| Creation of a training platform for the projects we support |
An online training platform was created over the summer and launched in time for the 2021-22 Antarctic season (in the following financial year and the subject of the next annual report). |
| Increasing the number of tour operators we are partnered with and to formalise these partnerships |
We engaged in negotiations with tour operators, with an expectation that the launch of the training platform would result in a number signing up with us. We also created a formal Operator Agreement which legally defined our relationship with these operators. The intention is for any operators who wish to use this platform being required to sign the agreement. |
| Bringing on new science and data collection projects |
We developed and launched the first iteration of a mobile app for the Norwegian Ice Service. This is to be used for tour passengers to collect sea ice data which can be used to compare ground measurements with satellite images, with clear benefits to society via climate change monitoring and safety of shipping. |
CONFERENCES
The Polar Collective was represented at the 2021 Citizen Science Virtual Conference , which ran 3-21 May 2021. We presented a poster and co-led workshops.
We also helped to lead and organise the Community and Citizen Science in the Far North conference with ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium of the United States), which ran 5-7 October 2021.
SPOTLIGHT: The Training Platform
The creation of the training platform was a STEP CHANGE in how the Polar Collective connects Scientists with Polar Tour Guides. Previously a scientist had to indiviaully contact each guide collectig data. Or, often the guides trained other guides, leading to a game of telephone and decreased data quality! The Training platform eliminated the time required by each scientist and ensured that each guide received the training directly from the scientist. Initial feedback has been strong from both scientists and those collecting data!
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The primary income of the Polar Collective is usually through grants and donations from tour operators. Given the COVID pandemic, most tour operators did not operate and thus were unable to donate funds. This was foreseen by the board. Thus the planned budget was reduced with the assumption of zero Tour Operator income.
This strategy proved prudent, so through the use of smaller incoming grants and a small proportion of our other savings/banked income, the Polar Collective kept a balanced sheet throughout the year. Whilst our total income was reduced, the spending was on essential elements that were necessary for the Polar Collective and strengthened our position to be able to increase donations once tour operations resumed’
Our main expenditures were:
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Development of the Ice Watch mobile application. It should be noted that 100% of the expenditure on this app was covered by a grant from the Norwegian Ice Service which was given specifically for this purpose.
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Legal advice. The Polar Collective created a contract vital to our relationship with polar tour operators, The Operator Agreement, and we sought professional advice to ensure this contract was fit for purpose and would adequately protect our interests and define our relationships in the future, with these relationships believed to be vital to future fundraising through these same tour operators.
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Insurance. The Polar Collective felt that in entering into legally-defined relationships we should be financially protected.
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Learnworlds. This is a provider of a training platform. We spent part of this financial year creating a training program on this platform, with the plan that this training platform would of enormous value in pursuing our objectives and securing financial support.
At the end of the financial period we held adequate finances to sustain the organization for 2-3 months of operation, at £915.75 and $225.66. However, this was viewed with little concern as the Polar Collective was finalising arrangements for a significant grant which would support the following year’s expenses.
Due to the early infancy of the charity we do not currently have a reserves policy as this would limit our ability to operate and prevent the longer term viability of the organisation. We are however cognisant that as the organisation grows we will need to develop a policy for holding reserves and this will be developed in due course.
THE FUTURE
The Polar Collective remains in a state of development. Identified priorities for the following year are:
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Create a Principal Investigator Agreement, governing our relationship with researchers.
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Create new partnerships with researchers and be involved in the development of new projects.
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Increased fundraising, both through polar tourism operators and through other avenues.
This report is approved by the Board of Trustees who, on this date, are:
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Laura Smith (Chair)
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Amanda Lynnes
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Anna Kettley
-
Alex Cowan (Treasurer)
-
Davis Finnegan
On: xx July 2022
Signed
Laura Smith, Chair
Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective
Unaudited Accounts
31 October 2021
Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Business information | 1 |
| Approval statement | 2 |
| Chartered Accountants' report | 3 |
| Profit and loss account | 4 |
| Balance sheet | 5 |
| Notes to the accounts | 6 |
Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective Business Information
Accountants
Oaktree Accountancy (Cockermouth) Limited 27 Oaktree Crescent Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 9HR
Bankers
HSBC PLC 1 Forge Corner, Enderby Road Blaby LE8 3FZ
Solicitors
Stone King LLP Boundary House 91 Charterhouse Street London EC1M 6HR
Business address
The Gables Pardshaw Hall Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 0SP
1
Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective
Approval statement
I approve the accounts which comprise of the Profit and Loss Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes. I acknowledge my responsibility for the accounts, including the appropriateness of the applicable financial reporting framework as set out in note 1, and for providing Oaktree Accountancy (Cockermouth) Limited with all information and explanations necessary for their compilation.
Mr. Alex Cowan
8 June 2022
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Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective
Company number CE023108
Chartered Accountants' report to Mr. Alex Cowan on the unaudited accounts of Polar Citizen Science Collective
In accordance with the engagement letter dated 7 November 2019, we have prepared for your approval the accounts of Polar Citizen Science Collective for the year ended 31 October 2021 which comprise of the Profit and Loss Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes from the entity's accounting records and from information and explanations you have given to us.
As a practising member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed at icaew.com/membershandbook.
Our work has been undertaken in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release TECH08/16AAF.
Oaktree Accountancy (Cockermouth) Limited Accountants 27 Oaktree Crescent Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 9HR
8 June 2022
3
Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31 October 2021
| Sales Cost of sales Gross profit Expenses Car, van and travel expenses Telephone, fax, stationery and other office costs Bank, credit card and other finance charges Accountancy, legal and other professional fees (Loss)/profit before tax Corporation tax (Loss)/profit after tax Gross margin % Corporation tax payable 31 July |
2021 £ 3,646 3,646 - - 252 333 1,672 2,257 (2,257) 429 (1,828) 0% - |
2020 £ 92,374 80,369 |
|---|---|---|
| 12,005 | ||
| 30 238 421 8,294 |
||
| 8,983 | ||
| 3,022 | ||
| (574) | ||
| 2,448 | ||
| 13% | ||
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Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective Balance Sheet as at 31 October 2021
| Notes Current assets Prepayments Corporation tax repayable Bank/building society balances Current liabilities Trade creditors Corporation tax Accruals Net current assets Net assets Capital account Balance at start of period Net (loss)/profit |
761 429 1,079 |
2021 £ 620 620 2,448 (1,828) 620 |
- - 4,071 |
2020 £ 2,448 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,269 | 4,071 | |||
| - - 1,649 |
749 574 300 |
|||
| 1,649 | 1,623 | |||
| 2,448 | ||||
| - 2,448 |
||||
| 2,448 |
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Final 8/6/22
Polar Citizen Science Collective Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 31 October 2021
1 Accounting basis
The accounts have been compiled on a basis that enables profits to be calculated in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice and that provides sufficient and relevant information to enable the completion of a tax return.
2 Profit and loss account analysis
| Sales Grants receivable Cost of sales Happywhales Other subcontractors Car, van and travel expenses Travel and subsistence Telephone, fax, stationery and other office costs Information and publications Insurance Software Bank, credit card and other finance charges Foreign exchange losses / (gains) Bank charges Accountancy, legal and other professional fees Accountants fees HR support Legal fees |
2021 £ 3,646 3,646 3,646 - 3,646 - - 4 248 252 151 182 333 330 1,342 - 1,672 |
2020 £ 92,374 |
|---|---|---|
| 92,374 | ||
| 78,439 1,930 |
||
| 80,369 | ||
| 30 | ||
| 145 - 93 |
||
| 238 | ||
| 174 247 |
||
| 421 | ||
| 300 - 7,994 |
||
| 8,294 |
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