45th ANNUAL REPORT
(for the year ended 31 March 2022)
of
OPUS – AN ORGANISATION FOR PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETY
a company limited by guarantee Regd. Office: 10 Golders Rise, London, NW4 2HR Regd. in England No. 1514106 Regd. Charity No. 282415
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FORTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT
Presented at the Annual General Meeting of OPUS – An Organisation for Promoting Understanding of Society ('OPUS') held at by Zoom on 9[th] December 2022 at 17.30.
INTRODUCTION
OPUS was set up in 1975 by Sir Charles Goodeve FRS. Its aims derive from his founding belief that action needed to be taken to reverse the self-destructive processes operating in society.
OPUS aims to educate the public in all matters concerning the economic and sociological structure and working of society. It invites people to consider their own roles as citizens including the conscious and unconscious motivations behind what they do and don't do.
OPUS pursues its aims by the following means:
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(a) public events –conferences, lectures, seminars and workshops
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(b) education and training
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(c) consultancy
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(d) publication (e) research
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
The momentum that OPUS built up during the first year of the pandemic, continued through into this financial year. Because all OPUS activities have been online our costs have dropped which has enabled us to strengthen our reserves. This has been very encouraging. It has enabled OPUS to be even more active, especially in the events it has put on.
1. Events:
Book launches
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a) During the year OPUS organised a number of book launches: the first was led by an OPUS member who had contributed to a book entitled Men’s Accounts of Boarding School – Sent Away. Around 200 people attended this book launch in May 2021.
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b) A second book launch was organised for 7[th] July to celebrate Ajit Menon and Trevor Hough’s new book entitled What lies Beneath. Over 150 people came.
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c) A third book launch was held in December with the author, Steen Visholm, in conversation with Richard Morgan Jones about Steen’s new book, Family Psychodynamics in Organizational Contexts. 96 people attended.
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d) A fourth book launch was held in February 2022 for Gabriella Braun’s book, All That We Are. 125 people attended
Study Days
- e) A Study Day on the meaning of the monarchy as an institution had been organised following the Harry/ Megan interview with Oprah
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Winfrey and as it happened the day coincided with the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh. As this seemed to be an unconscious attunement, out of respect for the event and the subsequent mourning period, it was postponed until 15[th] May. In the event 30 people attended. A summary report was produced to which many of the participants contributed. This report was also published in the Journal of Organisational & Social Dynamics Autumn 2022.
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f) A second Study Day on the theme of Vulnerability and Resilience: Coping after Covid was organised for 19[th] June under the leadership of Tim Dartington, who had written a book entitled Managing Vulnerability some years before. 51 people registered and 42 attended. Tim Dartington prepared a summary of this event.
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g) A third Study Day on Political Correctness was held in October 2021 under the leadership of Halina Brunning, Simon Western and Elizabeth Henderson. 43 people registered to debate this difficult subject.
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h) A fourth Study Day on climate change was run by Rob Stuart and Andrew Briggs
Scientific Meetings
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i) Dr Simon Western gave an excellent presentation at the first of a new series of online Scientific meetings in September. The subject was a psychosocial exploration of ‘The Meaning of Greta’. There were 77 participants who participated in a lively discussion.
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j) A second scientific meeting given by Mark Stein on Gangs and chaired by Dame Ruth Silver, was held on 15[th] November. 110 people attended this fascinating event.
OPUS Annual Conference
- k) The OPUS conference was organised by Board members Catherine Holland and Carlos Remotti Breton in February 2022 on the theme of Examining the Organisational, Social and Cultural Challenges of the Anthropocene. 130 people from all over the world registered for this three-day event which was held online. Keynote speakers included Professor Paul Hoggett, Professor Susan Long, Margo Lockhart and Leslie Brissett. It was the most successful conference held to date and much positive feedback was received.
l) Listening Posts
The Listening Posts continued on a steady course during the financial year 2021-22. Four UK meetings were convened, all of which were held online. Therefore, participation was open to an international audience. Attendance averaged at around 20 people per session, with the exception of the January Listening Post, which attracted 29 participants. We added a new convener to our line-up in July, with John Condon taking up the convener’s role for the first time. The annual International Listening Post “Dawn of the Year” meetings were convened in 9 countries with a total of 13 reports submitted. The
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global report was published in the second edition of the OPUS journal. We welcomed Daniela Cabibbe to the role of International Listening Post Coordinator and delivered a learning event in June, attended by 29 international conveners.
m) Consultancy and Training
We have continued to offer Consultancy Development Days. These Saturday online workshops provide a space for those interested in, or engaged in, consultancy work to think together about their practice. The format typically includes a short presentation, an action learning set element in which peer-supervision occurs in triads, and finally an open space element , where themes of common interest are discussed. In 21/22 there was a slight fall in attendance in these events, possibly related to aspects of “ zoom fatigue” during the COVID period. However, the 5 events held still attracted between 15 and 25 participants on each occasion.
A major event in 21/22 was our second online Group Relations Conference “ Finding Courage in the Face of Change” , held in November 2021 with a diverse, global , membership of 38 people.
The initial conception for the conference developed in dialogue between
Jo-anne Carlyle and Chris Tanner. There was a shared interest in exploring lateral decision making processes in developing the conference, and also in moving away from an inherited tradition in which there was a disparity between the consultants working to a “known” structure, and the membership facing the full brunt of the “unknown”.
With this in mind we instituted a development process in which staff invitees participated in co-designing the conference, without any given leadership. The staff then had to wrestle with many of the same issues of voice, inclusion, and exclusion as the subsequent membership. This is not the place for a full evaluation. However, suffice it to say that for the staff there was an immersive exploration of the full nature of the consultant role; and for the membership there was an experience of an original, and innovative conference structure, and, perhaps, a different sense of relatedness to the staff team.
Other developments
- n) Following the earlier BAME events and the resurrection of the BLM movement which found resonances in UK society and worldwide, the Chairs of OPUS and AKRI (Olya Khaleelee and Ray Bakaitis) organised a meeting in September to explore the possibility of collaborating on a project to do with modern day slavery. Each
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brought 3 colleagues to an initial meeting. This was the start of a process to work together more closely, given that both organisations are ‘siblings’ in relation to TIHR.
- o) The war in Ukraine during February 2022 prompted us to hold a reflective space to consider our connections and relatedness to Ukraine and to discuss the war there from a system psychodynamic perspective. 150 people registered for this two-hour event and donations to Ukraine were encouraged instead of OPUS charging a fee. A follow up meeting was arranged on 20[th] April, with the title of Cruelty and Heroism: Reflections on the war in Ukraine. 187 people attended including some Ukrainians.
OPUS Consulting operates as a company independent of OPUS the charity, but with a profit lock to OPUS. It has its own website: (www.opus-consulting.co.uk)
ORGANISATIONAL & SOCIAL DYNAMICS (OSD)
Organisational & Social Dynamics entered its twentieth year. It continues to be produced by Phoenix Publishing House. The Editorial Management Committee for the journal is chaired by Jim Krantz and meets three to four times each year. The publishing process for 2019, with Phoenix, was smooth and successful.The journal Organisational and Social Dynamics has its own website (www.osd.org.uk).
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REPORT & ACCOUNTS
(for the year ended 31 March 2022)
of
OPUS – AN ORGANISATION FOR PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETY
a company limited by guarantee Regd. Office: 10 Golders Rise, London NW4 2HR Regd. in England No. 1514106 Regd. Charity No. 282415
CONTENTS
| Legal and Administrative Information | 2 |
|---|---|
| Directors' Report | 3 & 4 |
| Independent Auditor's Report to Members | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 6 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 7 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 8 |
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LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Constitution
OPUS is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity governed by its memorandum and articles of association. The liability of the members is limited, but is not to exceed £10 per member. In accordance with Section 62 of the Companies Act 2006, the company is exempt from the requirements of that act to include “limited” as part of its name.
Directors and Trustees
In accordance with the company's articles of association, the company has a board of directors who are the trustees of the charitable company for the purposes of charity law. Directors may be appointed by ordinary resolution of the members (Article 34) or by the board (Article 37). The minimum number of directors is five. There is no maximum number.
The trustees and directors of OPUS during the year to 31[st] March 2022 were:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Olya KHALEELEE (Chairwoman from 15/11/2018) Augustine SAGOE (appointed from 1/06/2014) Catherine HOLLAND (appointed 18/01/2019) Carlos REMOTTI-BRETON (Hon. Treasurer) (appointed 18/01/2019)
Robert STUART
(appointed 05/03/2019) Christopher TANNER (appointed 18/01/2019)
HON SECRETARY
Carlos REMOTTI-BRETON
(from 18/01/2019)
AUDITOR
E A WEEKES
7 Lambourne Close, Banstead, Surrey SM7 1DL
BANKERS
CO-OPERATIVE Bank
1 Balloon Street, Manchester M60 4ES
REGISTERED OFFICE
10 Golders Rise, London NW4 2HR
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MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE at 31/03/2022
Board Finance Sub-Group
Olya KHALEELEE Carlos REMOTTI-BRETON
Events Director
Carlos Remotti-Breton
Training Director
Chris TANNER
Consultancy Directors
Chris TANNER Carlos Remotti-Breton
Listening Post Director
Rob STUART
Conference Director
Catherine HOLLAND
Journal Management Committee
Halina BRUNNING Prof. Paul HOGGETT James KRANTZ (Chair) Olya KHALEELEE Carlos Remotti-Breton
Journal Editors
Aaron NURICK Nadine TCHELEBI Matias SANFUENTES
Journal Book Review Editor
Kalina STAMENOVA
OPUS FELLOWS
Evelyn CLEAVELY Prof. Paul HOGGETT Dr Lionel STAPLEY
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DIRECTORS' REPORT
The directors present their report and audited accounts of the company for the year ended 31st March 2022.
The accounts comply with the current statutory requirements, the charity's Memorandum and Articles of Association and the Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities.
Object of the charity
The object of the charity is to educate the public in all matters concerning the economic and sociological structure and working of society. The principal activities during the year are set out in the Annual Report.
Review of activities
The activities during the year and future developments are set out in the Annual Report.
Directors
The directors of the company during the year and since the year-end were as follows:
Olya KHALEELEE
(Chairwoman from 15/11/2018) Augustine SAGOE Appointed 18/01/2019 Catherine HOLLAND (appointed 18/01/2019) Carlos REMOTTI-BRETON (Hon. Treasurer) (appointed 18/01/2019) Robert STUART (appointed 05/03/2019) Christopher TANNER (appointed 18/01/2019)
Organisation
The directors meet approximately every two months and on other occasions as required in order to administer the charity. The day-to-day operations of the charity are managed collectively by the directors some with a specific portfolio.
Reserves policy
The charitable company has developed a reserves policy. At 31st March 2022 the charitable company holds free reserves of £59846 (£54866)
Free reserves are held to ensure the continuity of the activities of the charity given the relative uncertainty of future income and to ensure the long term viability of the charitable company. The directors consider that the level of reserves is inadequate and are currently considering ways of bringing reserves to a more realistic level.
Risk view
The directors have reviewed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks.
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DIRECTORS' REPORT (continued)
Directors’ responsibilities
Company law requires the directors to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the affairs of the company and of the surplus or deficiency of the company for that period. In preparing those accounts, the directors are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
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prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in operation
The directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under ss 381-4 of the Companies Act 2006, and The Smaller Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors Report) Regulations 2008.
Signed by order of the directors.
Olya Khaleelee. Carlos Remotti-Breton Chairwoman Hon Treasurer and Company Secretary
Approved by the Directors on 9[th] December 2022
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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS
I have audited the accounts of OPUS for the year ended 31[st] March 2022, which comprises the Balance Sheet, Statement of Financial Activities, and related notes. These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies set out therein. This report is made solely to the company's members as a body in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. My audit work has been undertaken so that I may state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors 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 company and the company's members as a body, for my audit work, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and auditors
The trustees' (who are also the directors of OPUS for the purpose of company law) responsibilities for preparing the Directors' Report and the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards are set out in the Statement of Directors' Responsibilities.
My responsibility is to audit the accounts in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and United Kingdom Auditing Standards. I report to you my opinion as to whether the accounts give a true and fair view and are properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006. I also report to you if, in my opinion, the Report is not consistent with the accounts, if the charity has not kept proper accounting records, if I have not received all the information and explanations I require for my audit, or if information specified by law regarding trustees remuneration and transactions with the charity are not disclosed. I read other information contained in the Trustees Annual Report and consider whether it is consistent with the audited accounts, I consider the implications for my report if I become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the accounts. My responsibilities do not extend to any other information.
Basis of audit opinion
I conducted my audit in accordance with United Kingdom Auditing Standards issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the accounts. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the trustees in the preparation of the accounts, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the charity's circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed. I planned and performed my audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we consider necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the accounts are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming my opinion, I also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the accounts.
Opinion
In my opinion, the accounts give a true and fair view of the state of the charity's affairs as at 31[st] March 2022 and of its incoming resources and application of resources including its income and expenditure for the year then ended and have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.
E A Weekes
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BALANCE SHEET, 31[st] MARCH 2022
| Current Assets Other Debtors Cash at Bank Creditors:Amounts falling due within one year Creditors and Accruals Net current assets and net assets Fund Unrestricted income fund |
2022 £ 17980 48735 66715 6869 59846 59846 |
2021 £ 0 56265 56265 1399 54866 54866 |
|---|---|---|
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under ss 381-4 of the Companies Act 2006 and The Smaller Companies and Groups (Accounts and Directors Report) Regulations 2008
SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE DIRECTORS
Olya Khaleelee Carlos Remotti-Breton Chairwoman Company Secretary & Trustee
Approved by the directors on 9[th] December 2022
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (including income and expenditure account) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2022
| Incoming resources Notes (1) Activities to further the charity's objects Conference Fees E M Lecture Education & Research Consultancy Making the Difference Subscriptions Journal Resources expended Charitable expenditure Conference Fees E M Lecture Consultancy Making the Difference Website Development & Maintenance Management & Administration (2) Total resources expended Net (outgoings) incoming resources for the year Fund balance brought forward 1st April 2021 Fund balance carried forward 31st March 2022 |
2022 2021 £ £ 7116 0 0 10033 15853 912 4344 1080 0 6683 14382 16547 1369 1346 43064 36601 817 0 0 0 1750 820 6540 3831 8753 834 20225 18483 38085 23968 4979 12633 50917 38284 55896 50917 |
|---|---|
All movements are in unrestricted funds. The charitable company has no recognised gains or losses other than the result for the year as set out above. All of the activities of the charitable company are classed as continuing.
The notes on page 9 form part of these accounts.
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 31[st] MARCH 2022
Accounting Policies
1. (a) Basis of accounting
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention, in accordance with Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities' issued by the Charity Commissioners in October 2006 and Financial Reporting Standards for Smaller Entities (effective January 1[st] 2015)
(b) Incoming resources
Fees for consultancy services are recognised in full in the Statement of Financial Activities when receivable.
(c) Resources expended
Resources expended are recognised in the period which they are incurred and includes attributable VAT.
(d) Basis of allocation of expenditure in the Statement of Financial Activities
All costs are directly attributable to specific activities.
(e) Funds
The funds held by the charity are unrestricted.
2. Management & administration
| Staff Management Expenses Bank Charges Audit & Accountancy Indemnity Insurance Printing, Postage, Stationery, Phone Journal Administration Other Total |
2022 2021 £ £ 10416 11084 40 383 500 500 408 408 0 0 6740 5339 2121 769 20225 18483 |
|---|---|
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