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2023-07-31-accounts

The Cathedrals Group of Universities

(operating as The Cathedrals Group)

Annual Report and Accounts

31 July 2023

Charity Registration Number 801726

Contents

Reports

Reference and administrative information 1
Executive Committee report 2
Independent auditor’s report 8
Accounts
Statement of financial activities 12
Balance sheet 13
Principal accounting policies 14
Notes to the accounts 16

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

Reference and administrative information

Executive Committee Professor Jackie Dunne (Chair from 29 June 2023,
Vice Chair until 29 June 2023)
Professor Julie Mennell (Chair until 3 October 2022
and from 1 January to 29 June 2023, Vice-Chair from
29 June 2023)
Professor Jean-Noel Ezingeard (Vice Chair)
Professor Rama Thirunamachandran (until
November 2022)
Professor Jane Longmore
Professor Karen Bryan (until 29 June 2023)
Anthony McClaran (from November 2022)
Professor Claire Ozanne (from 29 June
2023)
Paul Barber, Director of Catholic Education
Service
Garry Neave, HE Adviser, Church of England
Registered/Principal office University of Cumbria
Fusehill Street
Carlisle
CA1 2HH
Charity registration number 801726
Auditor Buzzacott LLP
130 Wood Street
London
EC2V 6DL
Bankers NatWest Bank
High Street
Lincoln
LN2 1AZ
Solicitors Lee Bolton Monier-Williams
1 The Sanctuary
Westminster
London
SW1P 3JT

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

1

Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

The Executive Committee presents the report and accounts of the The Cathedrals Group of Univeristies (operating as The Cathedrals Group) (“the Council”) for the year ended 31 July 2023. Audited accounts are required under the terms of the Council’s constitution.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 14-15 of the attached accounts and the requirements of 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

The Council has adopted an abbreviated Executive Committee report as it qualifies as a small charity.

Governance, structure, and management

Constitution

The Council is governed by a constitution adopted on 1 November 1988, which has been amended in subsequent years, the latest amendment being March 2023. The Council is also a registered charity (charity registration number 801726).

Organisation

The policy and general management of the affairs of the Council is directed by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee consists of the Chair, two Vice-Chairs and three Vice Chancellors elected by the Members representing the range of Members. The Director of the Catholic Education Service and the Chief Education Officer of the Church of England are entitled to attend.

Representation

Membership of the Council is open to the designated Vice-Chancellor of each University in full membership. One nominee from each of the Catholic Education Service, the National Society (of the Church of England), and the Methodist Church in Britain are entitled to attend. Associate membership may be granted to such bodies as are willing and able to subscribe to the principal aims and activities of the Council.

The Members elect the Chair of the Executive Committee and Council to serve for a period of two years or such longer period as the Members may determine.

The members of the Executive Committee are also the trustees of the Council for the purposes of charity law. They are listed on page 1 and have all served in office throughout the year and to the date of this report except where stated.

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

Governance, structure and management (continued)

Key management personnel

The key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running, and operating the charity on a day-to-day basis comprise the members of the Executive Committee.

No member of the Executive Committee receives any remuneration from the charity in respect of their duties.

Statement of responsibilities of the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for preparing the annual report and accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Executive Committee, as the trustees of the Council (the “charity”), to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the year end and of its income and expenditure for the period. In preparing the accounts, the members of the Executive Committee are required to:

The Executive Committee is responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the charity’s constitution. 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.

When setting the objectives and planning the work of the Council for the year and its future activities, members of the Executive Committee have considered the Charity Commission general guidance on public benefit.

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Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

Governance, structure, and management (continued)

Risk management

The Executive Committee has assessed the major risks to which the Council is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Council and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

As a membership organisation whose income is primarily subscriptions, the major risk facing the Council is the loss of members. The financial consequences of this are mitigated in two respects: the low level of fixed costs with most expenditure being more discretionary spend; and the level of reserves carried to allow activity to be transitioned to a smaller membership base.

Objectives and activities

Overview

The principal objectives of the Council are to advance and develop higher education in the Church Universities. In support of these objectives several meetings were held during the year on both a face-to-face basis and online. The Council meetings were held online on 22[nd] September 2022, in person at Liverpool Hope University on 25[th] November 2022 which included the 2022 AGM. Thereafter Council meetings were held on 14[th] March 2023 and in person at Church House London on 29[th] June 2023 when the Council’s 2023 AGM was also convened.

Executive meetings were convened online on 20th September and 2[nd] November 2022 and on 16[th] January, 21[st] February and 22[nd] May 2023.

Personnel

Professor Julie Mennell who had been elected as Chair of the Cathedrals Group for a two-year term at the 2021 AGM, stepped back from the role of Chair from October 2022 until January 2023 due to university business. During this period, Professors Jackie Dunne, and Jean-Noel Ezingeard served as joint Chairs before returning to their roles as Vice-Chairs in January 2023. Anthony McClaran, Vice-Chancellor of St Mary’s University, was elected to the Executive Committee at the 2022 AGM following the retirement from the Executive of Professor Rama Thirunamachandran who had been a long-standing member of the Executive.

At the 2023 AGM Professor Jackie Dunne, Vice-Chancellor of Newman University, was elected as Chair, Professor Julie Mennell was elected as one of the two Vice-Chairs and following the retirement from the Executive after three years’ service of Professor Karen Bryan, Professor Claire Ozanne, Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University, was elected as a member of the Executive.

Having served as Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University for almost two decades,

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Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

Professor Gerald Pillay retired on 31 December 2022. Professor Claire Ozanne, Liverpool Hope’s new Vice-Chancellor was welcomed as a member of the Group in March 2023. Following the retirement of Professor Rob Warner, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon, at the end of December 2022, Professor Michelle Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, represented the University on the Cathedrals Group as the University’s Interim Vice-Chancellor following which Professor Claire Taylor was welcomed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth Marjon when she took up post in May 2023.

Professor Peter Neil (Bishop Grosseteste), Professor Medwin Hughes (Trinity St David’s Wales) and Stephen Marston (Gloucestershire) retired as Vice-Chancellors at the end of the 2022/23 academic year. Members thanked them for their support and engagement with the Cathedrals Group.

Julie Thompson, Executive Assistant from Professor Julie Mennell’s office, provided administrative support to the Cathedrals Group during the year with the University of Cumbria’s Finance Department supporting the management of the Cathedrals Group accounts and audit. A Sub-Committee of the Executive appointed Pam Tatlow as a Policy Adviser on a part-time consultancy basis commencing in April 2022 and this continued during the 2022/23 academic and financial year with a further contract issued on 1st July 2023.

Infrastructure

The Executive has considered financial statements provided on a regular basis by the University of Cumbria’s Finance team and resolved that the Group’s Choirs’ Festival would be held on a biennial rather than an annual basis with the next Festival being scheduled in 2024 rather than in the 22/23 financial year. A new contract to update and maintain the website was agreed by the Executive in 2023.

The future resourcing of the Cathedrals Group was subject to a formal consultation with members and this, together with the Executive’s recommendation that subscriptions should be levied on a banding basis linked to institutional income, has informed the strategy, and levying of subscriptions for the 23/24 financial year.

Constitution

In November 2022 the Executive and Council agreed that a Task Group should be convened to review and update the constitution to better reflect the changes in higher education which have taken place. Anthony McClaran (Vice-Chancellor of St. Mary’s University), Paul Barber (Catholic Education Service), Revd Garry Neave (National Society of the Church of England) and Pam Tatlow (Policy Advisor) were appointed to the Task Group which met in January 2023. They subsequently reported back to the Executive and the March Council meeting. At this meeting, Council approved the new constitution. Following the receipt of written approval from the Charity Commission, the new constitution and its objects will be formally approved and adopted at an Extraordinary General Meeting in September 2023.

Sub-Committees

The Executive reviewed the terms of reference of the Education Sub-Committee and the Research and Enterprise Sub-Committee. Their recommendations were approved by the September 2023 Council meeting following which these Sub-Committees were reconstituted.

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

Education Sub-Committee

The Education Sub-Committee has been chaired by Professor Peter Flew, Associate Pro ViceChancellor of the University of Roehampton. The Sub-Committee held three meetings which included sessions with senior staff from the Department for Education (DfE). These meetings discussed continuing concerns about the DfE’s agenda for Initial Teacher Education (ITE), the recruitment and retention of teachers, plans to develop teacher apprenticeships, the future of School Direct, Ofsted inspections of ITE and the outcome of reforms which required established ITE providers to apply to be accredited.

With support from the Cathedrals Group and hosted by St Mary’s University, the Education Sub-Committee held a successful conference in June 2023. Focused on the mentoring of both ITE students and early career teachers, recommendations from the Conference were shared with the DfE and disseminated to the sector.

Research and Enterprise Sub-Committee

The inaugural meeting of the new Research and Enterprise Sub-Committee was held in December 2022 when Professor Emile Bjosen, Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Winchester, was elected as the Chair. The Sub-Committee has met five times and has been attended by all Cathedrals Group universities in England. In addition, four networks have been established to engage staff involved in Knowledge Exchange, External Funding, Doctoral Schools with the establishment of a Unit of Assessment (UoA) Lead Network and further activity planned for the 2023/24 academic year.

Professor Bjosen and Pam Tatlow also met with representatives of UKRI with 6 monthly ‘catchup’ meetings scheduled in 23/24.

Sustainability Group

A group which included student representatives met three times to review actions in individual Member universities to advance the sustainability agenda.

Equity Network

A new Equity Network was established which has been convened and chaired by Dr. Tamsin Bowers-Brown, Director of the Office of Institutional Equity Leeds Trinity University, to enable senior staff from Member universities to share ideas and best practice. This has included a “spotlight” presentation from staff at Nottingham Trent University regarding their Black Student Leadership Programme. Going forward, the Network has agreed to feature a spotlight topic followed by a subsequent meeting to reflect on the topic and practices in the context of individual Cathedrals Group universities.

Policy

Members of the Cathedrals Group have historic foundations in the provision of teacher education and are long-established and highly respected providers of the latter, supporting partnerships with hundreds of schools and providing a key supply of teachers including those who go on to work in schools in communities which are part of the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. In 2022/23, the DfE’s market reforms resulted in a reduction in the number of universities accredited as ITE providers. However, following inspections of their ITE provision, Ofsted has judged several universities as being ‘good’ despite not being accredited by the DfE. As a result, DfE ITE policy remains an area of concern for the Cathedrals Group.

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Executive Committee report Year to 31 July 2023

The Office of Students (OfS) regulatory framework has been the subject of discussion during the year with the Council concluding that increased OfS bureaucracy has created significant additional resource costs which impact on smaller institutions such as those which make up most Cathedrals Group members. The OfS’s new requirement that institutions will have to retain students’ work and assessments for 6 years will further increase costs and cause considerable practical difficulties in terms of storage and potentially conflict with GDPR requirements. As a result of these concerns, the Cathedrals Group submitted evidence to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee’s Inquiry into the OfS. This evidence also identified reservations about a significant increase in OfS fees at a time when the institutional unit of resource in the form of tuition fee income has been frozen for a further 2 years.

Notwithstanding these challenges, Cathedrals Group universities have continued to support students with hardship funds, develop new courses in STEM, health education and degree apprenticeships and in some cases, have developed or are supporting the development of new medical schools with the approval of the Department of Health. In line with its stated ethos, the Group remains committed to widening participation, social justice and ensuring that higher education is accessible to all whatever their age and background.

Financial review

Total income amounted to £69,096 (2021/22 – £67,083), which related entirely to membership subscriptions totalling £69,096 (2021/22 – £67,083). Total expenditure amounted to £51,464 (2021/22 – £34,874).

The net movement in funds was a surplus of £17,632 (2021/22 – surplus of £32,209). The total net assets at the year end were £138,232 (2021/22 – £120,600).

Reserves policy

Sufficient free reserves are maintained to enable the Council to meet any unexpected demands for its services and to finance projects undertaken at short notice, broadly defined as equivalent to an average year’s expenditure. Should its reserves be insufficient, additional resources would be provided by the universities and colleges that are members of the Council. At the balance sheet date, the free reserves were £138,232 (2021/22 – £120,600) and so in excess of this policy. It is anticipated that the surplus will be used to fund future projects.

Future plans

The Cathedrals Group plan to continue to support the advancement of public education in its universities in 2023-24.

Signed on behalf of the Executive Committee on 16 November 2023:

Professor Jackie Dunne

Chair

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Independent auditor’s report 31 July 2023

Independent auditor’s report to the Executive Committee The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

We have audited the accounts of The Cathedrals Group of Universities (the “charity”) for the year ended 31 July 2023, which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the principal accounting policies and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

In our opinion the accounts:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the accounts in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the accounts, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the accounts is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the accounts are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The Executive Committee is responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the accounts and our auditor’s report thereon. Our opinion on the accounts does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Independent auditor’s report 31 July 2023

Other information (continued)

In connection with our audit of the accounts, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the accounts or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the accounts or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of the Executive Committee

As explained more fully in the Statement of responsibilities of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee is responsible for the preparation of the accounts and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Executive Committee determine is necessary to enable the preparation of accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the accounts, the Executive Committee is responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Executive Committee either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the accounts as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these accounts.

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Independent auditor’s report 31 July 2023

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts (continued)

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Our approach to identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations, was as follows:

We assessed the susceptibility of the charity’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

In response to the risk of irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

As a result of our procedures we did not identify any key audit matters relating to irregularities.

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Independent auditor’s report 31 July 2023

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the accounts (continued)

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s Executive Committee, as a body, in accordance with section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and with regulations made under section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity’s Executive Committee those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s Executive Committee as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Buzzacott LLP Statutory Auditor 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

Date: 22 November 2023

Buzzacott LLP is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Statement of financial activities Year to 31 July 2023

Notes Unrestricted funds Unrestricted funds
2023
£		 2022
£
Income from
Charitable activities
Advancement of public education in Church universities
and colleges
1
Total income
Expenditure on
Charitable activities
Advancement of public education in Church universities
and colleges
2
Total expenditure
Net income and net movement in funds
Reconciliation of funds
Balances brought forward at 1 August
Balances carried forward at 31 July		 69,096 67,083
69,096 67,083
51,464 34,874
51,464 34,874
17,632
120,600		 32,209
88,391
138,232 120,600

There is no difference between the net movement in funds stated above, and the historical cost equivalent.

All of the charity’s activities derived from continuing operations during the above two financial periods.

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Balance sheet 31 July 2023

2023 2022
Notes £ £
Current assets
Debtors 5 1,092 16,650
Cash at bank and in hand 145,178 131,066
146,270 147,716
Liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year 6 (8,038) (27,116)
Net current assets /total net assets 138,232 120,600
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted income funds
General fund 138,232 120,600
Total funds 138,232 120,600

Approved by the Executive Committee and signed on its behalf by:

Professor Jackie Dunne Chair

Approved on: 16.11.23

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group)

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Principal accounting policies 31 July 2023

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the accounts are laid out below.

Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared for the year to 31 July 2023.

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with 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 United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.

The accounts are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.

Assessment of going concern

The trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these accounts. The trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these accounts.

The trustees of the charity have concluded that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees are of the opinion that the charity will have sufficient resources to meet its liabilities as they fall due.

Income recognition

Income is recognised in the period in which the charity has entitlement to the income, the amount of income can be measured reliably, and it is probable that the income will be received.

Income comprises donations, membership subscriptions and bank interest.

Donations are recognised when the charity has confirmation of both the amount and settlement date. In the event of donations pledged but not received, the amount is accrued for where the receipt is considered probable. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that those conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.

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Principal accounting policies 31 July 2023

Income recognition (continued)

Membership subscriptions are calculated on an institutional basis, and by reference to student numbers, plus a flat rate, and are accounted for in the period to which they relate. Subscription rates are set annually.

Expenditure recognition

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure on the advancement of public education in Church universities and colleges includes such expenditure as:

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and is recognised when there is a legal and constructive obligation to make a payment and includes any attributable VAT which cannot be recovered.

Cash flow statement

The accounts do not include a cash flow statement because the charity, as a small reporting entity, is exempt from the requirement to prepare such a statement under the Charities SORP (FRS 102) Update Bulletin 1.

Debtors

Debtors are recognised at their settlement amount, less any provision for non-recoverability. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid.

Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and in hand represents such accounts and instruments that are available on demand or have a maturity of less than three months from the date of acquisition.

Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are recognised at the amount the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt.

Funds structure

Unrestricted funds comprise those funds which the Executive Committee are free to use in accordance with the charitable objects of the Council.

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Notes to the accounts 31 July 2023

1 Charitable activities
2 2023
£		 2022
£
Advancement of public education in Church
universities and colleges
Membership subscriptions		 69,096 67,083
69,096 67,083
Cost of charitable activities 2023
£		 2022
£
Advancement of public education in Church
universities and colleges
Accommodation, staff support and office
expenses
Conferences and meetings
Website & Brand Development
Auditor’s remuneration		 38,250
5,030
2,184
6,000		 21,826
7,528
1,560
3,960
51,464 34,874

3 Taxation

The Cathedrals Group of Universities (operating as The Cathedrals Group) is a registered charity and therefore is not liable to taxation on income or gains derived from its charitable activities, as it falls within the various exemptions available to registered charities.

4 Executive Committee remuneration, expenses and transactions with Members

The members of the Executive Committee consider that they comprise the key management personnel of the charity in charge of directing and controlling, running and operating the charity on a day to day basis.

No member of the Executive Committee, or any persons connected with them, received any remuneration from the Council during the year (2021/22 – £nil). No expenses were reimbursed to any members of the Executive Committee during the year (2021/22 – £nil). All travel and subsistence expenses associated with the business of the Executive Committee are met by the members’ institutions.

Most of the members of the Executive Committee are employed by universities and colleges who are Members of the charity. Membership fees to these organisations are charged on an arm’s length basis. Some of these organisations also provide administrative and other services to the charity. During the year to 31 July 2023, £16,000 was incurred for administration costs, which was incurred by University of Cumbria (2021/22 – £10,000 incurred by University of Cumbria).

Debtors
2023
£		 2022
£
Other debtors and prepayments 1,092 16,650
1,092 16,650

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Notes to the accounts 31 July 2023

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2023
£		 2022
£
Accruals
Creditor		 6,000
2,038		 3,960
23,156
8,038 27,116

Other than the transactions disclosed in note 4, there are no further related party transactions to disclose.

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