GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1192587
Report and Annual Accounts
30 October 2022
GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Report and Accounts 2022 Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Legal & Administrative Information | 2 |
| Report of the Trustees | 3 |
| Independent Examiner's report to the Trustees | 4 |
| Receipts and payments account | 5 |
| Statement of assets and liabilities | 6 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 7 |
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Legal & Administrative Information For the period ended 30 October 2022
| Charity Name | Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO). | Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO). | Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO). | Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO). | Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charity Registration | Registered with the Charity Commission on | 19 January 2022 with registration no. | |||
| 1197581. | |||||
| Governing Document | Charitable Incorporated Organisation. | ||||
| Objective | The preservation and promotion of good health for the public benefit by advancing | ||||
| education (particularly amongst ophthalmologists) in the science and practice of | |||||
| ophthalmology. | |||||
| Principal Address | 3 Hallcroft Close, Sutton Coldfield B72 1YB | ||||
| Trustees | The Trustees who served during the period or who were serving at the date of this report | ||||
| were: | |||||
| Sunil Shah | |||||
| Maged Nessim | |||||
| Dr Ashraf Armia Balamoun | |||||
| Bankers | Barclays | Bank Plc | |||
| Independent | Christine Cheung-Poston | ||||
| Examiner | Flat 48, Samford House, | ||||
| Charlotte Terrace, London N1 | 0JF |
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Report of the Trustees For the period ended 30 October 2022
The Trustees submit their report and annual accounts of Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO) (“the Charity”) for the period ended 30 October 2022. The legal and administrative information set out earlier in this document forms part of this report.
1. Activities, Strategies and Performance
The charity provided a programme of free educational webinars with an international audience. The programme was preplanned with specific monthly themes, offering one intermediate and one advanced-level webinar each month, with a particular emphasis on accessibility for ophthalmologists in developing countries.
The webinars were delivered by an international volunteer faculty of ophthalmologists (eye surgeons), each with a specialist interest relevant to the monthly theme. Each session was chaired by a member of the GERSO Board. Over a thousand junior and senior ophthalmologists worldwide benefited from the webinars, either by attending live or by accessing recordings stored for later viewing.
Typically, two webinars were held each month at times chosen to accommodate participants across multiple time zones. The number of webinars delivered per year was:
-
2021: 24 webinars
-
2022: 22 webinars
-
2023: 13 webinars
In addition to the live webinar programme, a bank of recorded lectures was created. This resource is aimed at providing eye surgeons in training—particularly those in developing countries—with free access to high-quality educational content. The ultimate goal is to develop an online training programme that offers surgeons in developing countries the same level of didactic education as is available in more developed healthcare systems.
3. Financial Review
3.1 Financial Activity and Financial Position
The Charity’s only source of funding was the donation of the predecessor business having the same name. .
The Receipts & Payments Account and Statement of Assets and Liabilities can be found on pages 6 and 7 respectively. The Charity’s cash reserves increased by £32,577 during the year to £32,577.
3.2 Reserves Policy
The Trustees have considered the level of resources they wish to retain, appropriate to the charity’s needs. This is based on the charity’s size and the level of commitments held. The Trustees aim to ensure the charity will be able to continue to fulfil its charitable objectives even if there is a temporary shortfall in income or unexpected expenditure.
4. Responsibilities of Trustees for the Financial Statements
Charity law requires the Trustees to prepare accounts for each accounting year which record the receipts and payments of the charity for the year. The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable us to ensure that the financial statements
comply with the Charities Act 2011. The Trustees also have a responsibility to safeguard the assets of the charity and to take reasonable steps to prevent fraud or any other irregularities.
5. Approval
The report of the Trustees was approved by the Trustees on 12 September 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Maged Nessim Trustee
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Report of the Independent Examiner to the Trustees of Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO)
I report on the financial statements of Global Education & Research Society of Ophthalmology (GERSO) for the period ended 30 October 2022, set out on pages 5 to 7.
This report is made solely to the Charity Trustees in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act). My independent examination has been undertaken so that I might state to the 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 the law, I do not accept responsibility to anyone other than the Trust and the Trustees for my independent examination, for this report, or the opinions I have formed.
RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER
The Charity Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this (under section 144(2) of the Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
-
Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act);
-
To follow the procedures laid down in the General Direction given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act); and
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To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S STATEMENT
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. 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 Charity Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.
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:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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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.
Christine Cheung Poston
12 September 2025
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Receipts & Payments Account For the period ended 30 October 2022
| Note Receipts from: 2 Donations Charitable activities Total receipts Payments on: 3 Raising funds Charitable activities Total payments Net receipts Transfers between funds Other recognised gains/(losses) Net movement in funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ 84,847 - |
Restricted Funds 2022 £ - - 0 - - 0 0 - - 0 - 0 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | |||
| 2022 | |||
| £ | |||
| 84,847 | |||
| - | |||
| 84,847 | |||
| 84,847 | |||
| 7,500 44,770 52,270 32,577 - - 32,577 - 32,577 |
|||
| 7,500 | |||
| 44,770 | |||
| 52,270 | |||
| 32,577 | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| 32,577 | |||
| - | |||
| 32,577 | |||
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Statement of Assets & Liabilities As at 30 October 2022
| Note Assets Tangible Assets Debtors Cash At Bank And In Hand Liabilities Accountancy Independent examination Total Assets Less Liabilities |
Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ - - 32,577 32,577 (1,000) (300) 31,277 |
Restricted Funds 2022 £ - - - 0 - - 0 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | |||
| 2022 | |||
| £ | |||
| - | |||
| - | |||
| 32,577 | |||
| 32,577 | |||
| (1,000) | |||
| (300) | |||
| 31,277 | |||
The annual accounts were approved by the Trustees on 12 September 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Maged Nessim Trustee
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GLOBAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH SOCIETY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (GERSO)
Notes to the Accounts For the period ended 30 October 2022
1. Basis of Accounting
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.
2. Receipts
| 2. Receipts | |
|---|---|
Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ Restricted Funds 2022 £ Donation from GERSO (predecessor business) 88,217 - |
|
| Total | |
| 2022 | |
| £ | |
| 88,217 | |
3. Payments
Unrestricted Funds 2022 £ Restricted Funds 2022 £ Raising funds: Social Media Marketing 7,500 - Charitable Activities Webinars 9,390 - Provision of Office & Support 21,856 - Governance 13,524 - 52,270 0 |
|
|---|---|
| Total | |
| 2022 | |
| £ | |
| 7,500 | |
| 9,390 | |
| 21,856 | |
| 13,524 | |
| 52,270 | |
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