_**Company number: CE024865 Charity number: 1193467**_
**Sex Education Forum CIO (A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467) Financial Statements and Trustees' Report for the year ended 31 March 2023**
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
AT **Sex Education Forum CIO**
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## **Index to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2023**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|**Index to the Financial Statements**|**2**|
|**Charity Information**|**3**|
|**Trustees' Report**|**4 - 11**|
|**Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities**|**12**|
|**Independent Examiner's Report**|**13**|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|**14**|
|**Statement of Financial Postion**|**15**|
|**Statement of Cash Flows**|**16**|
|**Accounting Policies**|**17**|
|**Notes to the Accounts**|**18 - 21**|
Page 2
AT **Sex Education Forum CIO**
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## **Charity Information**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Status:**|Sex Education Forum CIO is a|charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by its|
|---|---|---|
||constitution.||
|**Charity name:**|Sex Education Forum CIO||
|**Other operating names:**|SEF||
|**Charity registration number:**|1193467||
|**Registered office:**|PO Box 78778||
||London||
||SW4 4GP||
|**Operations address:**|PO Box 78778||
||London||
||SW4 4GP||
|**Trustees who held office**|Alison Hadley OBE||
|**during the year:**|Corah Gritton||
||Sarah Faithfull||
||Cindy Xin Win Zhang||
||Yoan Tranholm Reed||
||Jane C Lees OBE||
||Alice Hoyle|- Resigned 1 December 2022|
||Liam Beattie||
||Robbie Currie||
|**Chair:**|Alison Hadley OBE||
|**Deputy chair:**|Yoan Tranholm Reed||
|**Treasurer**|Robbie Currie||
|**Chief Executive:**|Lucy Emmerson||
|**Independent Examiner:**|**Anthony Armstrong FCA**||
||**Armstrong & Co**||
||_Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor_||
||4a Printing House Yard||
||Hackney Road||
||London||
||E2 7PR||
|**Bankers:**|**Unity Trust Bank**||
||Four Brindleyplace||
||Birmingham||
||B1 2JB||
Page 3
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
The Trustees of Sex Education Forum CIO present their report together with the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.
## **Letter from our Chair and Chief Executive**
Our second annual report covers the next chapter in our development as an independent charity. It was an exciting year during which we consolidated both our governance and programmes, and began exploring new avenues for youth inclusion, underpinned by a focus on addressing the needs of young people who may be marginalised from accessing Relationships and Sex Education (RSE).
Statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) remains the biggest opportunity we have in a generation to level-up and improve children and young people’s access to and experience the benefits of high quality RSE. We also know that the impact of statutory status has been slowed by disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and that until implementation is more effective it will not reach its goal of equipping all children and young people to be safe and healthy. Supporting the delivery of statutory RSE has therefore been a key priority in our activities between April 2022 and March 2023.
We support effective implementation strategically in the following ways;
- Convening the RSE sector so that we can provide a safe space for dialogue between stakeholders and strengthen our collective voice
- Keeping our ears to the ground about the challenges for schools and educators and addressing these by creating practicesharing opportunities and guidance
- Developing high quality RSE training for educators with a particular focus on gaps such as specialist training for special schools
- Engaging both publicly and behind the scenes in discussions about policy
- Monitoring provision by listening to children and young people
- Updating and sharing the evidence base for effective RSE
We believe that young people’s experiences of RSE must be front and centre in monitoring whether the implementation of statutory RSE is meeting the needs of children and young people living in an increasingly complex world. Our independently commissioned poll of 1000+ young people aged 16 and 17 has been a crucial tool to document young people’s views and an evidence-based focus for our dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders. We know that quantative data is useful, but we also need qualitative insights that go deeper in understanding the perspectives of young people whose voices are not well represented by a poll. So this year we launched our 2022 Poll findings accompanied by insights from young people and placed greater emphasis on our strategy for communicating the poll to stakeholders. We published the 2022 Poll findings on 1 March, just 7 days before the Prime Minister announced a Review of RSHE.
The year was not without challenges. We encountered a wide range of ‘back-lash’ challenges to RSE. We have supported several of our Partners when they have been faced with distressing and complex situations that threaten reputations and seek to disrupt our activities which are built around a shared and transparent set of values and principles. All our work is underpinned by an evidence base which we continually develop in association with international RSE specialists.
Critical to our thriving as a sector is collaboration. The Sex Education Forum plays a crucial role as the sector convenor. We offer a range of exciting events for our members and wider stakeholders, maintaining a productive working relationship with Government, creating opportunities to share excellent practice, and providing safe spaces where we can discuss and troubleshoot challenges with our Partners and find solutions together. We are incredibly grateful for the collective passion and commitment from our Partners and wider stakeholders who sit at the table with us to get this right for current and future generations of young people.
It is a privilege to hold the positions of Chair of the Sex Education Forum’s Board and Chief Executive and to work as a duo at this exciting juncture.
The strength of the Sex Education Forum has always been our community of partners, members, and supporters. If you are not already part of our community please have a look at the values and principles that we share, and we do hope you will consider joining us.
**Alison Hadley OBE, Chair of Trustees Lucy Emmerson, Chief Executive**
Page 4
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Aim and objectives of the Sex Education Forum**
Our aim is clear: to improve children and young people’s access to RSE and thereby promote their physical and mental health. The Sex Education Forum has a unique role as a convenor of key stakeholders, including strategic and specialist organisations committed to the same goal. Our three objectives are:
1) Convening key RSE stakeholders including, but not limited to, statutory and non-statutory organisations and individuals involved in RSE provision to share effective practice, monitor provision, and identify gaps;
2) Supporting educators, parents and carers to be competent and confident providers of RSE;
3) Gathering and utilising the evidence for effective RSE to inform policy and practice and advance public understanding of the benefits of RSE.
## **Governance**
Over the course of the year our three newly recruited trustees have become embedded in our governance. We have established trustee sub-groups to enable small groups of trustees to engage meaningfully and efficiently with specific areas of our work, including Governance Sub-Committee, Fundraising, Training and Youth inclusion sub-groups.
In December, Alice Hoyle, one of our founding trustees, stepped down to release time for other commitments. Alice had been involved with the Sex Education Forum and we are grateful for her support in a voluntary capacity for over a decade.
We have refined the process for reviewing our risk-register so as to make a substantial task manageable. This ensures clear lines of communication and discussion about risks identified and plans for mitigations through to the full board from the Governance-Sub-Committee who leads the risk-register review.
Several of our policies have now been reviewed as part of our agreed review cycle. New policies have been developed including a Staff development, learning and management policy, Complaints policy (drafted) and social media policy (drafted). The Chief Executive led a review of the terms of reference of the Governance Sub-Committee.
GDPR training has been attended by the Operations Manager and a plan developed and begun by the Operations Manager to implement GDPR compliant processes across the work of the Sex Education Forum.
## **Organisational structure.**
Sex Education Forum is staffed by a Chief Executive (0.9FTE*), Senior RSE Specialist (0.6FTE*) and Operations Manager (0.6FTE*). In March 2023 we began recruitment for a RSE Trainer & Specialist (0.4FTE) as we seek to expand our capacity, with a particular focus on meeting the demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialist RSE training for teachers and staff in special schools and settings.
*FTE points are correct at March 2023.
All staff work from their own homes, with occasional travel to meetings, events and to deliver training or projects. There are therefore no overheads associated with managing a physical office workplace. Staff work closely as a team, supported by effective use of technology and occasional face-to-face meetings.
## **Learning and development for staff and trustees**
The Chief Executive is a member of ACEVO (the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations), which has been an invaluable source of peer support and practical advice. The Chair of trustees is a member of the Association of Chairs. Staff training and development opportunities are identified through quarterly reviews and a new policy is in place for staff learning, development and management.
Page 5
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Memberships: Partners and Educators**
We operate two types of membership: ‘Partner’ and ‘Educator’. A formal application process is used for organisations and individuals wishing to join the Sex Education Forum as Partners, with applications assessed to ensure alignment with our values and principles for evidence-based RSE. Educator members are asked to confirm that they agree with our values and principles. Partner membership fees start at £199 per year, Educator membership is £49.50 per year. A full list of benefits can be found here.
We have received and reviewed applications from several new partners, including Colourful Peach, Fumble, Life Lessons, Forest Learning Alliance, University of Worcester School of Education, Girlguiding UK, WISH, Changing Relations, Vicky Stubbs, Resilience (Turning Point), New Hall School, Period Positive, Plan International UK, Leicestershire County Council and Herpes Viruses Association (HVA). Our partners are drawn from a wide range of sectors – voluntary sector organisations of varying sizes, statutory organisations, schools and social enterprises. All have either a strategic or specialist interest and involvement with RSE and are in agreement with the SEF values and principles. Partner applications are assessed by a sub-group of one trustee and one partner, with the full board approving the sub-group recommendations relating to the partner applications.
Partners are invited to at least 6 meetings and events on-line per year. These occasions provide an invaluable networking space and opportunity to share updates about policy, research and practice. Through these events we have set up and run ‘task and finish groups’, with Partners contributing their time to collaborate on a shared activity. For example, five Partners formed a ‘task and finish group’ to review the questions in our Young People’s RSE Poll, resulting in many useful changes to the wording.
Our regular communications with our Partners enable us to better achieve our objectives. Partners share their experiences of delivering or supporting RSE provision in schools and other settings and are able to feedback about challenges and solutions on the ground.
Agendas for our termly events are geared towards providing continuing professional development for Partners, so that they can cascade up-to-date research evidence, policy and practice through their networks and within their own practice.
We held three online ½ day ‘CPD’ events for our Partners and wider membership.
- Summer Partners’ Event, 5 July 2022, focused on good practice, speakers included officials from the Department for Education. We presented our ‘RSE educator of the year awards 2022’, which had been judged by young people.
- **-** Autumn Members’ Event, 3 November 2022, focused on ‘Implementing statutory RSE – the journey so far’. We heard from the Ofsted lead inspector for RSE, and from practitioners and researchers. We also launched a new resource ‘RSE – the evidence’.
- Spring Members’ Event, 14 March 2023, focused on ‘Engaging boys and young men in RSE’. We heard from two young men who have been working with one of our Partners ‘Life Lessons’, as well as researchers and school case-studies.
Early in each of the three academic terms we hold a 90 minute ‘Partners’ Connect’ event online, enabling us to identify and address current issues relating to RSE which are affecting our Partners, and to plan next steps. Partners identified engaging boys and young men in RSE as a high priority for them, and this then became the theme our Spring Members’ Event.
We held additional one hour CPD events for our membership across the year, featuring guest speakers:
- Sexual health services, RSE and young people – with Alison Hadley and Brook (May 2022)
- Making RSE meaningful for learners with SEND – with Claire Bates and Kate Reynolds (September 2022)
- The Teen Brain and sexual health – with Dr John Coleman (December 2022)
We held ‘new Partner welcome meetings’ online to provide an induction for new Partners.
At the start of each academic term we produce a packed newsletter for all our members, which enables us to update our wider membership about new resources and support available and to feature new products or offers from our Partners.
Page 6
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Stakeholder engagement**
Sex Education Forum has continued to engage regularly with Officials at the Department for Education, with whom we attend regular ‘keeping in touch’ meetings.
We maintain productive links with RSE specialists within international bodies such as UNESCO and World Health Organisation and represented England at a UNESCO event focused on the inclusion of ‘SOGIE’ (Sexual orientation, gender identity and expression’) in RSE.
We engage regularly with academics, seeking out new and cutting edge research to share at our Members’ events, and contributing to academic-led projects including:
- UCL and others ‘Engaging sexual stories’ – a project designed to make the Natsal-3 research data more accessible, and attending roundtable project - _‘https://www.natsal.ac.uk/_
- University of Birmingham ‘Histories of Sexual Health in Britain (1918 – 1980)’ – providing a masterclass day to the project leads to support them in planning the practitioner-facing and youth involvement aspects of their project
- Aston University ‘Young Muslims and RSE’ roundtable / ‘sandpit’ event
## **Policy engagement**
Challenge towards RSE itself and organisations and individuals involved in delivering and supporting RSE has been intense. We have regularly provided informal support to our Partners in relation to ‘backlash’.
A Lords Amendment to the Schools Bill was put forward which focused on parent rights to view curriculum materials (for all subjects, but deriving from challenges to RSE), and a Westminster Hall Debate sponsored by Miriam Cates. In her speech, Miriam Cates directly criticised SEF for using the language ‘menstruators and non-menstruators’.
- To create a safe space for Partners and regular means of communication about challenges and the current policy environment we convened a Partners’ Policy Group on a monthly basis throughout 2022-3 with approximately 25-30 partners attending each meeting.
- SEF produced a Parliamentary briefing focused on the contribution of RSE to suicide prevention and sent to 20 MPs (across political parties), to inform the Westminster Hall Debate on suicide prevention education and RSHE (13 March 2023) with content of the briefing informed by the Partners’ Policy Group.
- We were one of 50+ VAWG sector organisations signing a letter to Secretary of State Gillian Keegan coordinated by the Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) Coalition – the letter quotes data from the 2022 SEF poll and is aligned in messaging about putting young people’s views at the centre of the review.
- Statement published on our website to comment on the Government RSHE Review (8 March 2023).
- Policy, media and comms advise provided informally to SEF Partners.
- SEF produced ‘A short guide to Transparency in RSE provision and communication sent to all SEF members’.
## **RSE evidence briefing**
Research evidence underpins all our work. We invite academics to speak at our events, reference research evidence meticulously in all our publications and policy briefings, and our accessible summary of the academic literature on RSE is highly valued by our Partners and wider stakeholders. We recognised that this briefing was due for an update so that we could include new research studies and more content on what the research says about ‘how’ RSE should be delivered to be most effective.
With input from a Partners ‘task and finish’ group and commissioned work from an external consultant we produced an update to our RSE evidence briefing. Several leading academics contributed material for the briefing and the publication gives a really clear message about the evidence base on RSE. There was an excellent response to the publication, with over 100 responses via a post on LinkedIn, reposted by Department for Education, dissemination via our 4500+ email subscribers and members, and via various external networks.
Page 7
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Young people**
We received a £50,000 grant from the Big Lottery Community in February 2022, for a 12 month youth inclusion development project, which enabled us to explore embedding youth inclusion in sustainable and meaningful ways in our work. Activities carried out using these funds included:
- Establishing a sub-group of trustees to focus on youth inclusion.
- Using a matrix to map the nature of youth inclusion activities within SEF in the past, and to see where they may be untapped potential.
- Mapping survey with SEF Partners.
- Bi-lateral conversations with a diverse range of organisations ranging from primary schools to specialist charities such as Ambitious about Autism.
- Fresh approach to SEF’s RSE Awards 2022, inviting young people and young people only to judge the Awards.
- Partnership formed with Ambitious about Autism and the LGBT Youth in Care network to enable insight groups to be run with young people in their memberships to develop the questions and communication strategy for the RSE Poll 2022. Qualitative insights from the young people involved were published as the foreword to the RSE Poll report.
- External communications expertise sourced to formulate and deliver a strategy for launching the RSE Poll 2022, putting a call to action for Government to listen to young people at the heart of the launch campaign, securing high profile national media coverage with this key message.
- Supporting communications tools for the RSE Poll launch developed by young people; TikTok post created by Milly Evans and illustration created by Ella Byworth.
Reflecting on the learning from our activities across the duration of the Big Lottery Funded project, a strong commitment emerged to a SEF focus on inclusion of young people experiencing marginalisation.
The project concluded by drawing up a set of options for approaches to embedding youth inclusion into the work of SEF on a more sustainable basis. The board has agreed on a preferred option and this will inform a further funding proposal.
Page 8
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Training educators**
Throughout 2022-3 we ran a calendar of online training events open to members and non-members, with a discount on ticket prices offered to our members. Events are advertised on the Sex Education Forum website, with promotional information communicated to our subscribers and members by email and using Linked In. We ran 12 ticketed training events open to members and non-members between April 2022 and March 2023. These included courses on teaching about sex education and puberty in primary school and on inclusive RSE for older learners with SEND.
Our Senior RSE Trainer developed a new one-day course focused on meaningful RSE for learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and combined and complex learning disabilities (CCLD). The development of this new course responds to our strategic focus on addressing the gaps in RSE training available nationally, with a particular focus on gaps that impact on marginalised young people.
We took a strategic decision to develop a longer training course focused on SEND settings, that would enable participants to attend a series of in-depth training days and to develop a community of practice with their peers. The ‘Developing RSE Specialism in SEND settings’ programme was launched in Spring 2023, with a cohort of 12 participants, who then embarked on a core three day training programme, beginning in March 2023.
Our training courses have attracted educators from a wide range of settings including primary schools, secondary schools, alternative provision, colleges, youth services and special schools.
With the Covid pandemic receding there has been increased appetite for face-to-face training. We delivered commissioned training in person for schools across England including the Isle of Wight, Cumbria and West Midlands. We have continued to deliver online INSET training for individual schools, for multi-academy trusts and local authorities. The audience for our commissioned training included RSE training for school Governors and a new four part course for professionals who support parents with RSE.
## **Positive Choices**
Sex Education Forum is the intervention partner for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded Positive Choices randomised control trial research study run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Our role in the period April 2022 – March 2023 has been to support 25 secondary schools to implement the first year the two-year intervention, using the lesson materials and whole-school components that SEF designed. This began with SEF staff arranging a series of individual support calls to each school, running a series of bespoke online training events, and ongoing communication with schools to ensure they were accessing and using the intervention materials. We also meet on a monthly basis with the research partners at LSHTM.
## **Fundraising for foster carers RSE training pilot project**
Through our partnership project with The Fostering Network (which was completed in March 2022) we identified a strong call to action for the provision of RSE training for foster carers. We have responded to this call by designing a follow-on project to develop, pilot and evaluate RSE training for foster carers, and approaching potential funders who could help us take realise this proposal.We were successful in securing this funding in March 2023, and the project will run over 16 months, with capacity built in to recruit a dedicated post to take this work forwards.
Page 9
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Media**
The Sex Education Forum has been regularly called upon to comment in the media and this year we have achieved more coverage pro-actively in relation to our RSE Poll launch withexternal communication support. Here are some examples of our media activities between April 2022 – March 2023.
## **Independent Voices - 2 March 2023**
- 'If you thought we'd learnt a lesson from Andrew Tate, think again' - (Lucy Emmerson, Op Ed) _https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/andrew-tate-sex-education-online-bullying-b2292075.html_
## **Guardian - 2 March 2023**
- Impact of pornography not taught enough in schools in England - (Alexandra Topping) _https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/02/impact-porn-not-taught-schools-england-survey_
## **Woman's Hour - 27 March 2023**
- Special episode on sex education _https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001kgmv_
## **House magazine – 5 March 2023**
‘Government must make it’s review of Relationships, Sex and Health Education a top priority’ (Sarah Champion MP) _https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/sex-education-review_
## **Public benefit**
When planning Sex Education Forum’s activites, the board of trustees are committed and have due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.
## **Governing Document**
Sex Education Forum CIO is a charitable incorporated organisation which is governed by its constitution.
## **Trustees**
The Trustees of the charity who held office during the year are disclosed on page 3.
No trustee recruitment was carried out in this period.
New trustees were supported with an induction process which included buddying new trustees with existing board members. This continued over a period of six months. In Summer 2022 the Chair and Deputy Chair contacted each of the new Trustees individually to review their experience with the induction and identify any ongoing needs.
## **Risks facing the charity**
The board has examined the principal areas of the charity's operations and considered the major risks which may arise in each of these areas. In the opinion of the trustees the charity has established resources and review systems which, under normal conditions, should allow the risks identified by them to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operations.
Sex Education Forum holds a risk register and these are updated quarterly, with mitigating actions identified.
## **Financial Review**
## **Results for the year**
The results of the period and financial position of the charity are shown in the annexed financial statements.
The Statement of Financial Activities shows net income for the year of £40,595 and reserves of £146,362.
## **Tangible fixed assets for use by the charity.**
Fixed assets are set out in Note 8 to the accounts.
Page 10
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Trustees' Report**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Reserves Policy**
Our reserves policy is 3 months salaries, plus £5-8K for 3 months running costs, plus £20K for the value of membership sales. The reserves policy at March 2023 was £65,000. As we have recruited additional staff, the amount will increase, and at the time of writing (November 2023) the policy is £75,000.
## **Independent Examiner**
The Independent Examiner, Anthony Armstrong FCA of Armstrong & Co, has indicated his willingness to be proposed for reappointment.
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 25 January 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
**Alison Hadley OBE Chair of Trustees**
Page 11
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities for the year ended 31 March 2023**
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 trustees are required by law to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the financial activities of the charity and of its financial position at the end of that period. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:
- a) Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
- b) Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- c) Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- d) Follow applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the accounts;
- e) Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the charity will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with Charities Act 2011. 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.
Page 12
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## A **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Independent Examiner's Report**
## **to the Charity Trustees of Sex Education Forum CIO**
I report on the accounts of Sex Education Forum CIO for the period to 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 14 to 21.
This report is made solely to the charity's trustees as a body in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and regulations made under section 154 of that Act. My examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity's trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity's trustees as a body, for my examination, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
## **Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner**
As described on page 12, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity's trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the the Charities Act and that an independent examination is needed.
Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under charity law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:
- a) examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act,
- b) to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
- c) to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
## **Basis of independent examiner's statement**
My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
In connection with my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
- l the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
- l the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
- l the accounts did 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 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.
Anthony Armstrong FCA, Independent Examiner **of Armstrong & Co** _Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditor_
**Dated: 25 January 2024**
**4a Printing House Yard Hackney Road London E2 7PR**
Page 13
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## FS **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Statement of Financial Activities**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
Charitable activities
4
Other income
5
**Total income**
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
6
**Total expenditure**
**Net income/(expenditure) and movement in funds**
**Reconciliation of funds:**
Total funds brought forward
10
**Total funds carried forward**
10|||**2023**
**2022**
**Total Funds**
**Total Funds**
**12 months**
**14 months**
£
£
2,984
6,150
173,550
200,896
971
1,935
**177,505**
**208,981**
136,910
103,214
**136,910**
**103,214**
40,595
105,767
105,767
-
**146,362**
**105,767**|
|---|---|---|---|
||**Unrestricted**
**Funds**|**Restricted**
**Funds**||
||£
2,984
89,273
971|£
-
84,277
-
**84,277**
113,715
**113,715**
(29,438)
44,438
**15,000**||
||**93,228**|||
||23,195|||
||**23,195**|||
||70,033
61,329|||
||**131,362**|||
All incoming resources and resources expended are derived from continuing activities.
The accompanying accounting policies and notes form an integral part of these financial statements.
Page 14
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Statement of Financial Postion**
## **as at 31 March 2023**
|**Notes**
**Current assets:**
Debtors
8
Cash at bank and In hand
11
**Total current assets**
9
**Net current assets/(liabilities)**
**Total net assets**
**The funds of the charity:**
Restricted income funds
12
Unrestricted funds
10
**Total charity funds**
10
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**|£
£
£
£
5,229
11,362
146,724
99,382
151,953
110,744
5,591
4,977
146,362
105,767
146,362
105,767
15,000
44,438
131,362
61,329
146,362
105,767
**31 March 2023**
**31 March 2022**|£
£
£
£
5,229
11,362
146,724
99,382
151,953
110,744
5,591
4,977
146,362
105,767
146,362
105,767
15,000
44,438
131,362
61,329
146,362
105,767
**31 March 2023**
**31 March 2022**|
|---|---|---|
||£
5,229
146,724
151,953
5,591|£
105,767|
|||105,767|
|||44,438
61,329|
|||105,767|
**The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on 25 January 2024 and signed on its behalf by:**
**Alison Hadley OBE Robbie Currie Chair of Trustees Treasurer, Trustee**
_**The notes on pages 17 to 21 form part of these accounts.**_
Page 15
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Statement of Cash Flows**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**Notes**
(Increase)/decrease in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
**Cash flows from operating activities:**
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
**Cash flows from investing activities:**
**Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period**
**Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period**
**B**
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period**
**B**
**Notes to the Cash Flow Statement**
**B] Analysis of cash and cash equivalents**
Cash at bank and in hand
**Total cash and cash equivalents**
**Net income/(expenditure) for the reporting period (as per the statement of**
**financial activities)**|**2023**
£
40,595
6,133
614
47,342
47,342
99,382
**146,724**
**2023**
£
146,724
**146,724**|**2022**
£
105,767
(11,362)
4,977|
|---|---|---|
|||99,382
99,382
-|
|||**99,382**|
|||**2022**
£
99,382|
|||**99,382**|
Page 16
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Accounting Policies for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with:
- a) Applicable UK accounting standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)'.
- b) 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) (effective 1 January 2015) - (Charities SORP FRS 102);
- d) the Charities Act 2011.
## **Public benefit entity**
The charity meets the defination of a public benefit entity under FRS 102.
## **Going concern**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue to operate and accordingly the accounts have been prepared on a going concern basis.
## **Income recognition**
Income is recognised when the charity has a contractual or other right to its receipt, it is probable that the income will be received and that the amount can be measured reliably. Income with conditions attached to its receipt is recognised when those conditions have been fulfilled.
## **Restricted Funds**
Restricted funds are to be used for specified purposes as laid down by the funder. Direct and support expenditure which meets these criteria are identified to the fund together with a fair allocation of other costs.
## **Unrestricted Funds**
Unrestricted funds are funds received which have no restrictions placed on their use and are available as general funds.
## **Allocation of costs**
Costs are allocated directly to projects where they can be identified as relating solely to that project. Other costs are allocated between the funds based on staff time spent on the fund activities or other appropriate criteria.
## **Hire purchase and leasing commitments**
Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
## **Pensions**
The charity operates defined contribution schemes which are administered by outside independent pensions providers. Contributions payable for the year are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities.
Page 17
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## F **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
## **1 Incoming resources**
The incoming resources and surplus are attributable to the principal activities of the charity.
## **2 Net incoming resources**
||||
|---|---|---|
|**Net incoming resources**
_Net incoming resources are stated after charging:_
Independent Examiner's fees - reporting service
Independent Examiner's fees - other services
**Trustees' emoluments**|**2023**
£
1,200
1,744
-|**2022**
£
1,509
1,128|
|||-|
## **Trustees' emoluments**
Emoluments include salaries, fees, bonuses, expense allowances and estimated non-cash benefits receivable. All trustees serve in a voluntary capacity and do not receive payment for their services.
|**Income from donations and legacies**
Donations
**Income from charitable activities**
Grant income
Training courses
Project income
Consultancy
Membership & subscriptions
**Other income**
Miscellaneous income|**Unrestricted**
£
2,984
2,984
**Unrestricted**
£
-
59,387
-
4,622
25,264
89,273
**Unrestricted**
£
971
971|**Restricted**
£
-
-
**Restricted**
£
15,000
-
69,277
-
-
84,277
**Restricted**
£
-
-|**2023**
**Total**
£
2,984
2,984
**2023**
**Total**
£
15,000
59,387
69,277
4,622
25,264
173,550
**2023**
**Total**
£
971
971|**2022**
**Total**
£
6,150|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||6,150|
|||||**2022**
**Total**
£
83,158
70,724
-
3,325
43,689|
|||||200,896|
|||||**2022**
**Total**
£
1,935|
|||||1,935|
- **3 Income from donations and legacies**
## **4 Income from charitable activities**
- **5 Other income**
Page 18
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## F **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**6**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
**Unrestricted**
£
Staff salaries
3,093
Office administration
1,405
Printing, postage & stationery
75
Telephone
342
Repairs & maintenance
80
Insurance
1,055
Computer expenses
852
Travel & subsistence
2,696
Training
674
Membership & subscriptions
2,470
Publications
3,367
Advertising & marketing
329
Legal & professional
2,135
Youth involvement fee
-
Website costs
969
Bank charges
96
Booking & card fees
1,813
Independent examiner's fees
682
Accounting & payroll
1,062
23,195
**7**
**Staff costs**
Staff salaries
Staff social security
Staff pensions
Employees paid in excess of £60,000 during the current year and previous year:
**8**
**Debtors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
**9**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Payroll taxes
Pensions liability
Net wages
Accrued expenses
Average number of employees during the year was:|**Restricted**
£
101,918
500
-
300
-
-
500
143
-
-
2,876
-
3,580
2,281
417
-
-
600
600
113,715|**2023**
**Total**
£
105,011
1,905
75
642
80
1,055
1,352
2,839
674
2,470
6,243
329
5,715
2,281
1,386
96
1,813
1,282
1,662
136,910
**2023**
£
97,080
5,038
2,893
105,011
3
None
**2023**
£
466
504
4,259
5,229
**2023**
£
2,651
709
(67)
2,298
5,591|**2022**
**Total**
£
83,568
824
118
483
-
601
1,131
275
965
3,527
5,344
295
-
-
1,835
90
2,169
1,509
480|
|---|---|---|---|
||||103,214|
||||**2022**
£
78,111
3,890
1,567|
||||83,568|
||||3|
||||None|
||||**2022**
£
-
500
10,862|
||||11,362|
||||**2022**
£
2,341
613
-
2,023|
||||4,977|
Page 19
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## F **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**10 **
**11 **
**12 **
**13 **|**The funds of the charity: current year**
_Restricted funds_
Restricted income funds
_Unrestricted funds_
General funds
**The funds of the charity: prior year**
_Restricted funds_
Restricted income funds
_Unrestricted funds_
General funds
**Restricted funds: current period**
Balcombe Trust
Big Lottery Funding - Youth Inclusion
Positive Choices
**Restricted funds: prior period**
Big Lottery Funding - Youth Inclusion
Positive Choices
Fostering Network / Start Talking project|**Opening**
**balance**
£
44,438
61,329
105,767
**Opening**
**balance**
£
-
-
-
**Opening**
**balance**
£
-
44,438
-
44,438
**Opening**
**balance**
£
-
-
-
-|**Resources**
**arising**
£
84,277
93,228
177,505
**Resources**
**arising**
£
83,158
125,823
208,981
**Incoming**
**resources**
£
15,000
-
69,277
84,277
**Incoming**
**resources**
£
50,000
14,678
18,480
83,158|**Resources**
**utilised**
£
(113,715)
(23,195)
(136,910)
**Resources**
**utilised**
£
(38,720)
(64,494)
(103,214)
**Resources**
**expended**
£
-
44,438
69,277
113,715
**Resources**
**expended**
£
5,562
14,678
18,480
38,720|**Other**
**movements**
£
-
-
-
**Other**
**movements**
£
-
-
-
**Transfers &**
**gains/(losse**
£
-
-
-
-
**Transfers &**
**gains/(losse**
£
-
-
-
-|**Closing**
**balance**
£
15,000
131,362|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||||146,362|
|||||||**Closing**
**balance**
£
44,438
61,329|
|||||||105,767|
|||||||**Closing**
**balance**
£
15,000
-
-|
|||||||15,000|
|||||||**Closing**
**balance**
£
44,438
-
-|
|||||||44,438|
## **Restricted funds (continued)**
Projects financed by restricted funds are supported by unrestricted funding where necessary. This occurs where the funding is in arrears or the incidence of expenditure on the project occurs disproportionately at the beginning of the project compared to the income flows. Where restricted projects end the year with a deficit, this is met by after year-end restricted income or transfers from unrestricted funds.
|**Balcombe Trust**|Pilot project from September 2023 to March 2024 to design, deliver and evaluate training for
foster carers on relationships and sex education.|
|---|---|
|**Big Lottery Funding - Youth**
**Inclusion**|Developing partnerships and youth inclusion for high quality relationships and sex education.|
|**Positive Choices**|Randomised control trial research collaboration for whole-school intervention.|
|**Fostering Network / Start**
**Talking project**|Co-production of relationships and sex education resource for foster carers.|
|**14 Net assets attributable to funds: current period**
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets represented by funds|**General**
**funds**
£
136,953
(5,591)
131,362|**Designated**
**funds**
£
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**funds**
£
15,000
-
15,000|**Endowment**
**funds**
**Total**
£
£
-
151,953
-
(5,591)
-
146,362|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Page 20
**(A Charity governed by its constitution, charity number 1193467)**
## F **Sex Education Forum CIO**
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## **for the year ended 31 March 2023**
|**15 Net assets attributable to funds: prior period**
Current assets
Current liabilities
Net assets represented by funds|**General**
**funds**
£
66,306
(4,977)
61,329|**Designated**
**funds**
£
-
-
-|**Restricted**
**funds**
£
44,438
-
44,438|**Endowment**
**funds**
£
-
-
-|**Total**
£
110,744
(4,977)|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||||||105,767|
## **16 Taxation**
The entity is a registered charity. Accordingly, it is exempt from taxation in respect of income and capital gains to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects.
## **17 Post balance sheet events**
There were no significant post balance sheet events.
## **18 Contingent liabilities**
The charity had no material contingent liabilities at 31 March 2023.
## **19 Related parties**
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year.
|**20 **|**Transactions with trustees**||**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||During the year the following|transactions with trustees were recorded:|**£**|**£**|
||Alison Hadley|Reimbursement of charity operating expenses|609|-|
||(Cindy) Xin Wen Zhang|Reimbursement of charity operating expenses|19|19|
||Jane Lees|Reimbursement of charity operating expenses|1,285|-|
||Liam Beattie|Reimbursement of charity operating expenses|23|-|
||Yoan Reed|Reimbursement of charity operating expenses|157|-|
Page 21