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2021-11-04-accounts

Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Trustees Report and Financial Statements

for the Year ending 04 November 2021

Charity Number 1192190

The Trustees are pleased to present their annual report, together with the consolidated financial statements of the charity, for the year ending 04 November 2021.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities SORP (FRS 102) together with Update Bulletin 2.

Names of the Charity Trustees who manage the charity

Professor Sir Steve Smith (appointed 19 April 2021)

Stephanie Cherington-Rimmell (appointed 05 November 2020)

Fintan Irwin-Bowler (appointed 05 November 2020)

Charlotte Thorley (appointed 05 November 2020) Qasa Alom (appointed 01 April 2022)

Structure, Governance and Management

The charity was registered in 2020. It is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is governed by a deed. New trustees are selected by the current trustees of the charity. The day-to-day management of the charity is undertaken by two Co-Directors who are paid from the CIO’s own funds.

Chair’s Introduction

Despite Covid, Agile Rabbit’s first year as a charity was a huge success providing events and

engagement across a variety of formats: online, in person talks, podcasts, discussions, walks and even a stage at a music festival. This enabled the charity to achieve its purposes with a diverse audience across communities around the world.

Finances remained healthy as Agile Rabbit provided services to other organisations and continued to strengthen its relationship with the University of Exeter, IntoBodmin, and Marine Theatre.

The charity aims to widen its work with more communities and to build confidence in audiences after the pandemic.

The charity will appoint more trustees to help with its work and enable trustee succession.

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Our Charitable Purposes

The purposes of the charity are:

THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN THE SUBJECTS OF SCIENCE AND CULTURE BY HOLDING PUBLIC EVENTS, LECTURES, AND CREATING INFORMATION MEDIA FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT IN THE SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND, OTHER AREAS OF ENGLAND AND WALES AND OTHER COUNTRIES AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY DECIDE FROM TIME TO TIME.

The trustees recognise that the charity must report each year on how they have carried out their charity’s purpose for the public benefit. In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Our Main Activities

A brief summary of the main activities normally undertaken by the charity to carry out its purposes for public benefit is as follows:

Agile Rabbit is an educational charity that produces quirky events, radio programmes, podcasts, and other experiences, often in an interactive and creative way.

We support people and organisations to communicate research and ideas, showing their relevance to lives and societies. With an informal tone, our events are inclusive and accessible, while still challenging audiences.

Achievements and Performance in 2020-21

Events and community engagement

In November 2020 Agile Rabbit successfully delivered an online engagement and education festival called Futures 2020. This was planned to be in person, but due to Covid restrictions moved online. This was in collaboration with other partners across the South West. It was part of the European Researchers’ Night project funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and delivered on behalf of the University of Exeter. Researchers from all stages of careers engaged with diverse audiences.

During 2021 Agile Rabbit held other online events including with NASA scientist Naomi Murdoch. Speakers and audiences joined from countries across the world.

In July 2021 there was a series of in-person events at Standon Calling, a music festival. Speakers such as Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Robin Ince, and Helen Czerski, spoke on an exciting range of topics such as

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2021

space, taste, oceans, and psychedelics. And there were walks - such as a smell walk and sound walk. It was valuable to engage with new audiences in a non-educational setting.

Agile Rabbit took part in the University of Exeter Exchange Symposium with an online event that celebrated the positive influence of community and public involvement on university research.

As Covid restrictions eased, monthly events at Exeter Phoenix started in Autumn. Speakers included Paul Mason and Prof Chris Lintott.

In July and August there were pop up park events in Belmont Park and St Sidwells Park to help the University of Exeter to engage local communities with the Civic University Agreement. Community radio and a survey were also part of this consultancy work which helped the institution achieve its status as a Civic University.

Futures festival returned for a 2021 edition in September, and saw many in-person events in new communities: a Festival of the Sea in Lyme Regis, Creative Responses to Climate Change in St Petroc’s Church, Bodmin, walks in Exeter, and a Pop-up shop in an art gallery.

Some events were recorded and released as podcasts.

Finances

Agile Rabbit was funded largely through trading, that is providing services to other organisations, and partly through ticket revenue.

Marketing

Online audiences saw the bolstering of Agile Rabbit’s reputation and a growth in the newsletter audience and across social media.

Trustees

We were delighted to appoint a diverse group of trustees to support the charitable purposes - including Sir Steve Smith; public engagement specialist, Dr Charlotte Thorley; fundraising specialist, Stephanie Cherington-Rimmell; and community engagement specialist, Fin Irwin.

Risk Management

The trust maintained its risk register which was reviewed regularly at trustee meetings.

Finance, Investments and Reserves

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It is the duty of the Trustees to manage the charity's reserves. The reserves policy is reviewed annually by the Trustees.

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England & Wales/Northern Ireland requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities

Approved by the Board of Trustees on 17.06.2022________

and signed on its behalf by …S.L.Cherington-Rimmell………………………

CHAIR

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Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees of Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 04 November 2021, which are set out on the following pages 6 - 10

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees 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 charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carry out my examination I have followed all the applicable 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 material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records ; or

  3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

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.

NAME: Sam Blackford ACA

ADDRESS: 105 Chineway Gardens, Ottery St. Mary Devon, EX11 1JJ SIGNED S.Blackford

DATE: 15th July 2022

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Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Statement of Financial Activities for the Year ending 4th November 2021

The notes on pages 8 to 10 form part of these accounts.

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Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Balance sheet as at 4th November 2021

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 15/7/2022 and were signed on its behalf by:

S.L.Cherington-Rimmell

Chairman

The notes on pages 8 to 10 form part of these accounts.

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2021

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2021

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Preparation

The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) 2[nd] edition and the Charities Act 2011. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income resources are included on the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity is legally entitled the income and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Expenditure

Expenditure is accounted for on an accrual basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings, they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is used to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Fixed assets are depreciated as follows:-

IT equipment 25% per annum on costs Office Fixtures & fittings 25% per annum on costs Display Cases 5% per annum on costs

Items with cost price of £500 and above will be included in fixed assets.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

The unrestricted fund has arisen through general fundraising, unrestricted donations and surpluses from pursuing the charity’s objectives.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when fund are raised for particular restricted purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2021

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2021 (continued)

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2021

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2021 (continued)

5 Tangible fixed assets

There were no fixed Assets held by the company at 04 November 2021

7 Restricted Funds

There were no restricted funds held by the company at 04 November 2021

9 Trustee Information

Trustees remuneration and expenses

The trustees received no remuneration, except for travel and subsistence to meetings.

10 Employees & staff costs

There were no employees of the charity in the year.

11 Related party transactions

In the year there were two related party transactions. The charity made payments to the Agile Rabbit’s Co-Directors for their consultancy support on event management, totaling £18,390.27. John Puckey, Director at Agile Rabbit, received a total amount of £8,263 in relation to consultancy support. Within the total, £2,790 was due to the director, and provided for in the accrued expense at year end.

Kate Baker, Director at Agile Rabbit, received a total amount of £10,127.27 for consultancy support. Within the total, £2,660 was due to the director, and provided for in the accrued expense at year end.

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2021