2023-11-04-accounts - Agile Rabbit - South West Science And Culture

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

for the Year ending 04 November 2023

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 2023.

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

Stephanie Cherington-Rimmell

Fintan Irwin-Bowler

Qasa Alom

Charlotte Thorley (resigned 05/11/2022)

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.

Our Charitable Purpose

The purpose 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 southwest 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

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Agile Rabbit – South West Science and Culture CIO Financial Statements 2023

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 2022-23

In June 2023, we were commissioned to host a panel conversation for the University of Exeter’s Centre for Water Systems’ 25 Year Anniversary. The event titled ‘Water and Climate Change: 10 Things You Should Know’ saw four renowned speakers discuss the issues surrounding water sanitisation and scarcity. It was chaired by BBC’s Anu Anand.

Our monthly events at Exeter Phoenix continued with both globally renowned figures alongside local speakers in science, culture, and global affairs. We welcomed speakers such as John Crace, Dr. Hannah Dawson, and Catherine Loveday. For two events, we collaborated with local independent booksellers.

In July 2023 we returned to Standon Calling Festival, a music festival in Hertfordshire. Following the success of 2021 and 2022, we curated the whole programme for the festival’s Lawn Stage. We exposed an unsuspecting audience to a wide range of topics such as Hilma AF Klint, the workings of a human lung, climate change, and David Bowie. Amongst our speakers were Victoria Broackes from the V&A, Helen Czerski, and Cheddar Gorgeous. It was valuable to engage with new audiences in a non-educational setting.

We were commissioned by the British Science Festival to design a sensory map linking together all festival venues in Exeter. We worked with researchers, radio producers, and neurodivergent communities to create a legacy map that shows neurodivergent-friendly places and routes across Exeter. We also joined the festival activities with four guided walks and talks covering subjects such as plastic pollution, the asian hornet invasion, and fungi.

In September 2023 Agile Rabbit successfully delivered FUTURES: A Festival of Discovery for the South West on behalf of the University of Exeter. We successfully engaged rural communities in Cornwall by bringing the Pop-Up Shop to The Cornish Bank in Falmouth. With neurodivergent-friendly workshops, two quiet spaces, an accessibility guide, and guided walks and talks, we added new formats to the event.

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We were supported by an expert team of UoE researchers who supported us in making the event accessible for neurodivergent families. The festival was originally part of the European Researchers’ Night project; it is now funded by the UKRI. Researchers from all stages of careers participated and engaged with diverse audiences. Between the partners there were 127,500 participants and 366 individual researchers involved in 26 different events.

Blue Heart

One major piece of work is Blue Heart - we lead on the engagement and comms for this flood mitigation project in Eastbourne and southern Wealden. With our new member of staff, Eleanor, now in post as Engagement and Communications Lead for the Blue Heart project, we were ready to begin establishing our elements of the project, starting with the creation of a website and social media channels. Realising that the project branding was too corporate for community-focussed comms, we recruited illustrator Connie Noble to soften and humanise messaging online, on social media, and in print. We produced a set of three postcards which introduce Blue Heart, each with a different ‘call to action’ and a friendly illustration encouraging members of the public to pick them up.

We built on the success of our initial Community Radio work with Stellaria Media in two ways. Firstly, we wanted to introduce other ways that community members could contribute their knowledge to the project when we weren’t there in person to talk to. For this we worked with Mapping for Change to produce an interactive, online map where users can upload points of interest, photographs, audio and video files that help us tell the story of Eastbourne and southern Wealden through water, heritage and ecology. Secondly, we wanted to continue using audio as a key element in the project, but needed to find audio producers based nearer the project area. Stellaria Media set up micro-commissions for local artists and audio producers who created short pieces of audio inspired by the theme of water. As well as creating additional content for Blue Heart (available via the website or on Soundcloud), it enabled us to make links with freelancers who might be able to support the project.

A number of community organisations who took part in the initial Community Radio work later became successful applicants to the Blue Heart Community Fund, launched in early 2023. This had been included in the Engagement Strategy as a way to support grass-roots activity to address flooding and climate change, and a way for the project to support existing organisations doing great work for their communities. In its first year, the fund supported six projects delivering tree-planting, raised beds for accessible allotments, food growing, engagement activities with water, a water refill station and a series of public events about growing.

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An important element of raising awareness of Blue Heart, and developing relationships with communities, has been events – attending existing ones, and offering a few of our own. In a particularly intensive week, the team threw themselves into Eastbourne Spring Water Festival - having a stand at an Eco Fair, collaborating with local creatives to deliver a multi-disciplinary event in a local park, put on an evening talk and presenting at the Festival conference. A particularly poignant event took place on September when we ran a drop-in session for residents in Polegate who had experienced flooding earlier in the year, or who were concerned about their flood risk. Agile Rabbit worked with local authorities, the Environment Agency, Stellaria Media and The Environmental Design Studio to deliver the event which respectfully captured individual’s stories, shared information and advice, and brought home to us the devastating impact of flooding on individual households and families.

Finances

Agile Rabbit was funded largely through grants, providing services to other organisations, and in a more limited way, through ticket revenue. Finances are healthy.

Marketing

Work in new communities, on larger events, and with new partners saw the bolstering of Agile Rabbit’s reputation and a growth in the newsletter audience and across social media.

Trustees

We continued with four esteemed trustees and are aiming to increase this number over the coming year to add to expertise and plan for succession.

Risk Management

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

Financial Review

Results for the year

The Charity ended the 4[th] November 2023 with an overall surplus of £21,419 (2022 £23,232), of this the unrestricted loss was £13,486 with a carry forward restricted funds relating to the Blue Hearts project.

Total funds at 4[th] November 2023 were £61,051 of which £26,146 were unrestricted (2022 £39,632) and the remaining £34,905 restricted (2022 restricted Nil) .

Income in 2023 was £165,586 , a 115% increase from 2022, majority due to the grant from University of Exeter for delivery of the project Blue Heart.

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As with growth on income, this resulted in greater expenditure for 2023, an increase of 60% compared to 2022, majority of this income was due to increase Blue Heart project delivery. In addition, the charity increased its employed staff from one at the start of the year to three at year end.

Finance, Investments and Reserves

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

The Trustees have agreed to maintain an unrestricted reserve fund to cover three months of operating costs which is £18,250.

All restricted funds are used for their specific purposes.

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:

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015 and (FRS 102;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

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 _03.09.2024_______

and signed on its behalf by

……… ………

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 2023, which are set out on the following pages 7 - 16.

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:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
the accounts do not accord with those records [; or
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 EX11 1JJ

SIGNED

DATE: 3 September 2024

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Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Statement of Financial Activities for the Year ending 4th November 2023

The notes on pages 9 to 16 form part of these accounts.

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Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Balance sheet as at 4th November 2023

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Trustees on _03.09.2024_______ and were signed on its behalf by:

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Chairman

The notes on pages 9 to 16 form part of these accounts.

Agile Rabbit – South west Science and Culture CIO Statement of Cash flows for the year ended 4th November 2023

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Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023

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 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

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 surplus 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

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specific fund. Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023 (continued)

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Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023 (continued)

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The charity had 2 employees during the year (2022 1).

The average weekly number of employees during the year were calculated on the basis of average monthly head count.

There were no redundancy and termination payments made in the year (2022 nil). No emoluments of staff above the range of £60,000.

The remuneration paid to, and employee benefits received by key management during the financial year, together with the associated employer's National insurance contributions, totaled £25,953 (2022 nil).

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023 (continued)

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Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023 (continued)

8 Restricted Funds

(2022- nil)

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10 Trustee Information

Trustees remuneration and expenses

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

Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 04 November 2023 (continued) 11 Pensions

The Charity operates one defined contribution pension scheme. The charge to the Statement of Financial Activities for the year is £2,246 (2022 – £128).

There were outstanding contributions at year end totaling £2,027 (2022 – nil).

12 Related party transactions

In the year there was one related party transaction. The charity made payments to Agile Rabbits Co-Director for their consultancy support on event management, totaling £10,891.25

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Kate Baker, Co-Director at Agile Rabbit, received a total amount of £10,891.25 for consultancy support. All payments was made in the year and no amount was provided for in the accrued expense at year end.

In the Prior year there were two related party transactions. The charity made payments to the Agile Rabbits Co-Directors for their consultancy support on event management, totaling £18,522.05. John Puckey, Director at Agile Rabbit, received a total amount of £8,748.55 in relation to consultancy support.

Kate Baker, Director at Agile Rabbit, received a total amount of £9,773.50 for consultancy support. Within the total, £2,291.25 was due to the director, and provided for in the accrued expense at year end.

13 Statement of Financial Activities for year ended 04 November 2022

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For the year ending 4th November 2022 i otai U nrestricted Restricted Notes Funds Funds 2022 Income: D onalions aKJ Iwies In(£ from ChJita)le 1VIlieS 8,OCX) 69,018 8,000 69,018 Total 77,018 77,018 Expenditure on: Cosls of rasng bJTrJs EX[EIllle on th&itale &livities Total 53,7 53,786 53,786 53,786 Net IncomelExpenditure) Unreald GaWL0s} 23.232 23,232 Nei In kUIKJS Furn DaaK£S NOU1 Torw&a Ib.4W 16,4UU Fund Balances 39,632 Page 17 of 17 Agile Rabbit- South West Science and Curture CIO Financial Statements 2023