UK Association for Public Administration (Registered charity, number 1204857) Financial statements for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
| Page | Contents |
|---|---|
| 2 - 5 | Trustees’ annual report |
| 6 | Independent examiner’s report |
| 7 | Receipts & payments account |
| 8 | Statement of assets & liabilities |
| 9 | Notes to the accounts |
UK Association for Public Administration Trustees’ annual report for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
Full name UK Association for Public Administration
Organisation type Charitable incorporated organisation
Registered charity number 1204857
Principal address
Institute of Local Government Studies, Department of Public Admin & Policy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT
Trustees
Professor Muiris MacCarthaigh, from 07/03/2025 Dr Alice Moseley, from 07/03/2025 Dr Amanda Crompton, from 21/09/2023 Dr Karin Bottom, from 21/09/2023
Independent examiner
John O’Brien, employee of Community Accounting Plus, Units 1 & 2 North West, 41 Talbot Street, Nottingham, NG1 5GL
Governance and management
The charity is operated under the rules of its association constitution adopted 21 September 2023.
The role of UKAPA Officers (trustees, Chair and Treasurer) and the UKAPA Executive Committee is to oversee the administrative support and financial management of the Council and to promote the collective interests of higher education institutions in relation to the applied social sciences. The Officers and Executive are appointed at the AGM of the Council.
Objectives and activities
The advancement of Education for the public benefit by, but not limited to, the promotion, development and co-ordination of the work of higher education institutions in the pursuit of education, training and research in public administration.
Such purposes shall in all respects and at all times be construed and promoted in an impartial objective, balanced and independent manner observing strict political neutrality.
Public benefit statement
The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit, 'Charities and Public Benefit'.
2
UK Association for Public Administration
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit
-
The promotion of diversity and good practice in furthering equal opportunities in respect of all disadvantages such as age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, nationality, ‘race’, region, religion, or sexual orientation;
-
The promotion of high standards in public life and good practice in the management of public institutions, to respect human rights and civil liberties and to observe principles of fairness and justice wherever they may be relevant to public administration, public management and public policy;
-
Work with research councils, learned societies and other bodies to promote research, education and training in public administration and allied subjects;
-
Prepare and submit evidence to government, commissions of enquiry and other relevant bodies concerned with education, training and recruitment for public administration and other related occupations;
-
Publish material relevant to training and other matters of common interest.
Summary of the main achievements during the period
The majority of activities since receipt of Charity Commission approval have been focused on the development of UKAPA.
This has involved:
-
The development of a website https://www.ukapa.org.uk/
-
UKAPA carried over 14 institutional members from the Joint University Council. It has recruited three new institutional members (Universities of Glasgow Southampton and Stirling). Two other institutions committed to join UKAPA in 2024, (Kings College London and Cardiff University).
-
UKAPA Co-owns two journals with SAGE Publications, Public Policy and Administration and Teaching Public Administration. The journals are available to institutions with paid access and offer limited open access to selected articles.
-
The organisation and running of UKAPA’s Inaugural Conference and Doctoral Conference (September 2024). Conference 2025 in development.
-
UKAPA resource development; development of relationships with other public administration focused learned societies, specially the International Institute of Administrative Sciences’ European Group and the American Association of Public Administration’s Teaching Section.
-
UKAPA has employed administrative support to provide office management (Smart PA).
3
UK Association for Public Administration
-
UKAPA’s primary source of income going forward will emanate from membership fees and copyright related to the academic journals co-owned with SAGE Publications Public Policy and Administration and Teaching Public Administration.
-
Presently institutions subscribe by payment of a membership fee as determined by trustees and Executive Committee and agreed by trustees.
-
Over the next year, UKAPA will focus on further development of its governance structure, its goals and further development of membership resources. It will also seek to expand its membership base and identify new sources of income.
Thanks
The work involved in setting up UKAPA has been considerable, particularly on the part of the Chair. This Report is compelled to draw attention to how our work is entirely conducted by volunteers.
UKAPA’s governance is convened by four trustees, one of whom is also Chair. Its Constitution allows for up to 12 trustees. In 2025 it is anticipated that two more trustees will be appointed.
Given the pressures that academics and HE institutions currently face, the considerable efforts of UKAPA’s trustees and Executive must be acknowledged. Similarly, it is important that the support and input of UKAPA’s institutional representatives is also acknowledged. This new learned society, the only UK learned society that exists to promote and support public administration and allied subjects, is entirely reliant on volunteer commitment and support.
Financial Review
UKAPA received £94,920 (£88,399 received by the end of August 2023) from the Joint University Council as agreed at AGM and Trustee meetings of the Joint University Council (Charity Number 1204861), which was in the process of being dissolved at the financial reporting date and finally dissolved in November 2024. The last transfer was made 24.09.2024.
No membership fees were collected in 2024 as the charity was still in a start-up phase. Fees were saved through other means. However, three new members were invoiced for fees. To ensure parity, this payment will be credited against the renewal for 2025-6 and they will be invoiced £0.
An exceptional but planned cost was made in 2024 for the development of UKAPA’s website. Other payments were expected routine costs.
The UK Association for Public Administration will operate under a set of formal financial regulations that are in development and will be approved by trustees and operated by the Honorary Treasurer. Going forward, UKAPA trustees will determine the allocation of funds to designated UKAPA activities through budget priority setting.
4
UK Association for Public Administration
At present, the UK Association of Public Administration’s accounts are considered healthy and sufficient for the charity’s usual purposes.
Grant making policy
-
UKAPA provides funding in the form of a yearly small research grant (£2,000) and research seminar series grant (£2,000).
-
UKAPA allocates £2,000 to fund teaching exchanges.
-
To the effect of £500 UKAPA funds teaching awards at its Doctoral Conference, namely the Richard Chapman Prize (best doctoral student paper at the UKAPA Doctoral Conference); in 2024 prize money was shared with the Public Administration Most Publishable Paper Prize.
The charity’s policy on reserves
It is UKAPA’s policy to retain an agreed contingency reserve in order to ensure our long-term financial viability.
It is not the purpose of the UK Association for Public Administration to simply build cash reserves. It has therefore been agreed that reasonable and prudent expenditure will be appropriate and subject to trustee scrutiny and approval that is cognisant of the financial conditions then prevailing. Reserves will be held only for as long as needed and used to advance the charity’s main purposes.
Reserves held at 31[st] August 2024 were £83,404
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
Signed ______ Date _ 19/8/2025 Dr Amanda Crompton, Trustee
5
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of UK Association for Public Administration for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of UK Association for Public Administration (the charity) for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the charity 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 2011 Act and in carrying 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 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.
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.
Signed ____ Date _______ 21/08/2025 John O’Brien MSc, FAIA, FCIE Employee of Community Accounting Plus
6
UK Association for Public Administration Receipts & payments account for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
| Note Receipts Opening donation 2 Membership Total receipts Payments Office administration IT & website Total payments Net receipts/(payments) Cash funds at start of this period Cash funds at end of this period |
2024 £ 88399 975 89374 1620 4350 |
|---|---|
| 5970 | |
| 83404 - |
|
| 83404 |
7
UK Association for Public Administration Statement of assets and liabilities at 31 August 2024
| Cash assets Note Bank accounts Assets retained for the charity’s own use General equipment. Liabilities Creditors 3 Advance receipts - membership received in advance |
2024 £ 83404 83404 (2562) (975) |
|---|---|
| (3537) |
These financial statements are accepted on behalf of the charity by:
| Signed _____ | Date _____ 19.08.2025 |
|---|---|
| Dr Karin Bottom, Trustee |
8
UK Association for Public Administration Notes to the accounts for the period 21 September 2023 to 31 August 2024
1. Receipts & payments accounts
Receipts and payments accounts contain a summary of money received and money spent during the period and a list of assets and liabilities at the end of the period. Usually, cash received and cash spent will include transactions through bank accounts and cash in hand.
2. Grants & donations
| Opening donation from the Joint University Council 3. Creditors Accountancy Independent examination |
£ 88399 88399 £ 1980 582 2562 |
|---|---|
4. Trustees’ remuneration
Trustees received no expenses, remuneration or benefits in this period.
5. Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions during the period.
6. Previous period comparison
The previous period’s figures have not been included for comparison because this is the charity’s first accounting period.
7. Glossary of terms
Advance receipts: These are amounts received by the charity in the accounting period, for use in a future period.
Creditors: These are amounts owed by the charity, but not paid during the accounting period.
9