Charity Number.. SC 024632 Northern Friends Peace Board Report and f inancial statements For the year ended 3151 December 2025
Northern Friends Peace Board Reference and administrative information for the year ended 31 December 2025 Charity number SC 024632 Registered office and operational address Quaker Meeting House, 50 Silverwell Street, Bolton 8LI IPP Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: Alan Frith Till Geiger Jayne Meadows Iclerkl Peter Speirs Deryck Hillas (Treasurer) Jennie White Key management personnel Philip Austin Steven Waling Coordinator Administrative A5515tant Bankers The Cooperative Bank, Olympic House, Montford Court, Salford, M5 2QP Ecology Buildin8 Society. 7 Belton fload, Si5sden, Keighley 8D20 OEE Independent Examiner Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA Slade & Cooper Limited Beehive Mill, Jersey St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6JG
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025 Northern Friends Peace Board Report of Trustees for the year ended 31 December 2025 The Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees submit their report and accounts for the period I, January- 31"December 2025. Tru5tee5 conf irm that the accounts comply with current statutory requirements and the charity's constitution. Charity Objectives and Prlnclpal Activities The objective of Northern Friends Peace Board INFPBI is the advancement, within its areas of operation, of the principles of the Religiou5 Society of Friends lQuakersl with special reference to the testimony against all wars, and through promoting peace, justice and care for the environment. This arises from the charity's original mandate.. "To advise and encourage Friends in the North, and through them their fellow Christian5 and citizens generally, in the active promotion of peace in all its height and breadth., It undertakes activities to this end. When planning the charity's activities for the year, Trustees considered the guidance of the Charitv Commission and of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator on public benefit. Trustees are committed to reaching as many people as possible through its work, both members and attenders of the Society of Friends as well as people of other faiths and perspectives on the world. A. Contlnulng Objectlves and artivities Objectives Activities l Arranging Board meetings to take place. Meetings of our members were arranged and took place, all as hybrid meeting5. Those joining in-person met in Nottingham, Edinburgh, York and Liverpool Meeting Houses. Invited speakers were Russell Whiting of the UK branch of the Global Campaign on Military Spending; Dixé Wills from Quakers in Britain,. Rachel Julian, Professor of Peace Studies at Leeds Beckett University and Diana Jeater, Professor of African Studies at the University of Liverpool. At each of our meetings, we were pleased to be joined by number of Friends from the locality and were provided with warm welcomes and hospitality.
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025 The meetings served as valuable opportunities for Friends to consider the challenging national and global context for our work, to hear reports of Quaker and other activities and to consider priorities for NFPB'S future work. The Clerks and Coordinator were assisted in planning our members, meetings by a newly-established arrangement5 group. As described above, members were fully involved during our meetings in considering the range of work that we undertake and to give guidance on future priorities. Trustees, continued to meet informally on a monthly basis, which has enabled them to keep up to date with the work and keep in touch with one another outside of the formal meetings. NFPB members were also involved in working with the Coordinator in planning and delivering workshops for Friends in York and Stocksfield. 2 Continuing to strengthen the Board and Trustee5 a5 a community, developing the clerking team, providing opportunities for joint action as well as discussion and worship. 3 Contributing to a number of other Quaker and non-Quaker events around the country, including Britain Yearly Meeting. NFPB planned and ran a special interest group meeting ahead of the annual gathering of Britair) Yearly Meeting in May. We also set up and hosted a stall at the 'Groups' Fair, during the weekend meeting. Throughout the year we participated in the monthly online meetings of the Peace and Service Network of the Friends World Committee for Consultation's Europe and Middle East Section, as well as participating lonline due to ill-healthl in the annual weekend gathering of that Network. We produced two issues of the NFPB Update in the first half of the year and four issues of the Peace Round-up. From August, we combined these two resources into a bi- monthly NFPB Bulletin. In total, thi5 is distributed to arourid 450 email addresses, including those for Quaker Meetirsgs, other peace and Quaker orEanisation5 and individuals. Three issues of the NFPB Bulletin were published, in August, October and December. 4 Arranging regular mailings to Local Quaker Meetings and Area Meetings. Producing regular Peace Round-up newsletters and other resources. 5 Maintaining and building on NFPB'S current working relationships with range of peace and Our main working relationships continued to be with Rethinking Security, the Global Campaign on Military Spending IGCOM51 and the Network of Christian Peace Organisations INCPOI. We supported the work of Rethinking SecuritV'5 Outreach Group during the year, attending meetings of that group and the full Council in person and online. Our Coordinator also continued to
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025 Quaker organisation5 and groups. serve on the steering/core groups of GCOMS and NCPO, helping arrange meetings and to guide their work. This year the Coordinator also served on an ad-hoc group convened by Christian Aid to support their work in developing resources for Churches to inform and promote work for a just peace in Pa lestine and Israel. . Objertlves and actlvities for the perlod l. Completing work on our pvb1ication and getting it widely distributed and read. We published Quoker Responses to War, a 70-page book in May, being a collection of Quakers sharing experience, insights and reflections, particularly in relation to the wars in Ukra ine and Gaza. We promoted and sold this during Britain Yearly Meeting, as well as through the Quaker Bookshop, via our web51te and at a number of other events. We had sold more than two thirds of our print-run of 300 copies by the end of the year. Publication of the expanded companion e-book had not been completed by the end of the year, due to personal circumstances affecting the person undertaking the editorial work. 2. Offering and running workshops and other regional events. Materia I from the book was used in a workshop for Friends in Northumbria Area Meeting in September. We also ran a workshop for Friends in York Area Meeting in March, and another for an interfaith event in November. 3. Continuing efforts to apply for funding for specific areas of work and encourage individual giving and legacy contributions We were successful in our application for funding to the Edith M Ellis Charitable Trust, to enable us to arrange and run an event in June 2026 for Friends to engage with issues around contemporary understanding and experiences of the Quaker peace testimony. 4. Start planning for change in working arrangements with Coordinator's retirement expected around the end of 2026. Trustees set up a staffing sub-group, which had 10 meetings during the year, both online and in-person. The group reviewed current working arrangements and pratticalities, recruitment processes and a timetable for the same and began work on a job description and
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025 person-specification. The group had a number of helpful pieces of external input, including from a staff member with recruitment experience from Quakers in Britsin and an outgoing employee of 3 similar-sized peace organisation. The Board appointed Tracey Martin to serve on the sub-group a5 a Coopted member for 18 months. The group feported on its work to the full Board in November. The Coordinator identified a range of objectives and tasks to undertake during his final year in post to enable a smooth handover. 5. Supportin8 Friends in consideration of and action on the Peace Testimony, arising from Bfltain Yearly Meeting's focus this year durin8 Its weekend meeting in late May. 6. Developing the wider involvement of members in taking our work forward- eg. with the Board meeting arrangements 8roup As referenced above, our work has included publication of Re5ponse5 to Wor running a number of workshops and continued work to develop our website as a starting point for resources. Our Members, meetings also included time for Friends to reflect deeply on some of the considerable challenges in the world and our responses to these. The contribution of our members, including trustees and NFPB Representatives has already been mentioned above. Further work was being developed in the last two months of the year, with a new working group appointed to arrange and deliver the Peace Testimony event for which we had been awarded additional fundin8.
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 3 1 December 2025 FUTURE PLANS Contlnulng Objertlves Objectives for the previous year listed above are continued. B. Specific Objertivesfvr 2026 l. Planning and delivering the Peace Testimony event in June 2. Recruitment of new Coordinator and working with them and current Coordinator for handover during the Autumn 3. Continuing to explore further funding opportunities and to keep in communication with Area Meetings and other current groups and individuals that provide financial support 4. Reviewing work priorities and networking commitment5 in anticipation of reduced staff capacity from January 2027 5. Recruitment of trustees and other role-holders Financial Revlew and Results Our income from individual donations and f inancial contributions for Local and Area Quaker Meetings was above the level for which trustees had budgeted due to a modest increase in income from Quaker Area Meetings and the receipt of a grant donation for a projett to be delivered in 2026. Trustees had suggested a figure of £10 per member of each Area Quaker Meeting for financial contributions. The charity's travel and accommodation costs increased from the previous year but were again below pre-pandemic levels as a result of online and hybrid working practices. We continued to draw on reserves to make up a difference between income and expenditure. We were pleased to note that that gap was smaller than we had anticipated. FINANCIAL POLICIES Rlsk assessment Trustees undertook a thorough risk assessment, reviewing the charity's risks and identifying courses of action arising from that assessment. Trustees have assessed the financial and operating outlook and consider that the charity is a 8oin8 concern. Trustees had contscted Area Meetings at the end of the 2024 and suggested that financial contributions to support our work should again be at £10 per member during 2025, whilst being conscious of inflationary pressures and the likely need to increase this a8ain in f uture years.
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual reportfor the year ended 31 December 2025 Reserves Policy In July 2021 Trustees agreed that the charity should endeavour to hold in its reserves the equivalent of twelve months, running costs, based on the period of notice required for the termination of the charity's Co-ordinator's employment and any winding up costs associated with that. The charity's current reserves exceed this margin. Trustees shall be drawing on the charity's reserves to cover the anticipated deficit in 2026 but in the medium to longer-term hope to reduce the amount being drawn on in this way through a ppeals to Quakers and grant-fundin8 application5 in particular and by reducin8 Staffing costs. Trustees will draw on reserves to develop project work when necessary. A proportion of our funds 15 invested in ethical portfolios, to help maintain the value of these funds and to generate some additional income. Structure, governance and management The area of operation of the Board is primarily that covered by the Area Meetings of Britain Yearlv Meeting in Scotland, North Wales and Northern England. Its constitution is governed by the Law of Scotland and is registered as a charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. The Board maintains an office in Bolton. It employs a full-time Co-ordinator and a part-time Administrative A551Stant. Philip Austin and Steven Waling, C&ordinator and Administrative Assistant respectively, undertook the finance-related administrative work. Philip Austin continued his cOrdInatIng role in relation to all other areas of the work of the Board and its trustees. Their work was undertaken chiefly from our office, with a smaller amount also undertaken from their homes. Procedures of the Board and its committees follow the general counsel on church affairs set out in Quoker Foith and Practi. The Trustees work is guided by the meetings of all Board members, including Representatives of all Northern Area Meetings and co-opted members, each of whom is appointed for Specific purposes. The full Board meets three or four times per ca lendar year and its trustees meet at least four times per year. The Board's variou5 sub groups meet at different times, reporting to the Board and to Trustees. The law require5 Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources of the year and the application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing those financial statements, Trustees are required to.. I select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently, make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent, state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the f inancial statements, 4 prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will Continue in business.
Northern Friends Peace Board Trustees, annual report for the year ended 31 December 2025 Trustees are responsible for keeping 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 applicable accounting standards. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of f raud and other irregularities. Trustees during the period covered were Alan Frith, Till Geiger Deryck Hillas ITreasurerl, Jayne Meadows Iclerk to Trustees from January 20251, Jennie White and Peter Speirs. Friend5 are appointed as Trustees both from the membership of the Board and from amongst Northern Friends as co-opted members. Alan Frith and Suzanne Wilson were reappointed to serve as Clerks to the Board. Trustees held five formal meetings- four online and one in-person~ with informal monthlv meetings and contacts between trustees and staff throughout the year. Trustees plan to have one of their meetings in person during 2026, other meetings being held online. By Order of the Trustees and signed on its behalf by.. Deryck Hillas (Treasurerl Jayne Meadows (Clerk to Trustees) Date
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Northern Friends Peace Board I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2025 which are set out on pages 10 to 14. Respective responslbllities of trustees and examiner The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment Iscotlandl Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts Iscotlandl Regulations 2006 las amendedl. The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10111 Idl of the 2006 Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44111 Icl of the Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. 8asis of independent examiner's statement My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the 26 Accounts Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It a150 includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeks 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 onsequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Independent examlner'8 Statement In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention, which give5 me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirement5'. to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44111 lal of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 AccoLtnts Regulations have not been met, or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Jennifer Daniel FCCA DChA Slade & Cooper Limited, Chartered Certified Accountants Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Manchester, M4 6JG Date.. 0310712026
Northern Friends Peace Board Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31 December 2025 Unrestrlcted funds Restricted funds Total funds 2025 Total funds 2024 Nots Receipts Donations Legacies Grants Gross recelpts from other charitable actlvitles Income from investments other than land and buildings 42,424 42,424 37.811 4,327 5,500 2,500 2,500 1,756 1,756 70 3,273 3,273 4, 750 Sub-total 47,453 2,500 49,953 52,458 Total recelpts 47,453 2,500 49.953 52,458 Payments Payments relating directly to charitable activities Govern8nce costs.. Independent exarminatlon Preparation of annual accoLJnts Payroll 59,259 59,259 55,821 360 960 205 360 960 205 350 898 176 Total payments 60,784 60,784 57.245 Net receipts/(payment$) before transfers (13,331) 2,500 (10,831) (4.787) Transfer between funds Net recelpts/payment$ (13,331) 2,500 (10,831) (4,787) io
Northem Friend5 Peace Board Statement of balances as at 31 December 2025 Unrestrlcted fund5 Restricted funds Total funds 2025 Total funds 2024 Note Cash fund$ Bank and cash balances at start of year Surplus / Ideficitl shown on receipts and payments account 77,915 77,915 82,702 (13,331) 2,500 (10,831) (4, 787) Bank and cash balan¢es at end of year 64,584 2,500 67,084 77,915 Market valuation 2025 Investments Fund 2024 Investment portfolio Unrestricted 39.328 38,223 other assets Fund 2025 2024 Stock of goods for resale Computer and office equipment Unrestricted Unrestrlcted 1,364 1,546 1,338 1,881 Total other assets 2,910 3,219 ADDroved by the trustees oni51 &12026 and siqned on their behalf bv.. Deryck Hlllas {Treasurer)
Northern Friends Peace Board Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 Basis of accounting These accounts have been prepared on the Receipts & Payments basis IA accordance with the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 las amended). Fund accounting Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular area5 of the charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity. Receipts from charitable activities Unrestrirted Restricted 2025 2024 Workshop fees and sales Other income 1,756 1,756 67 1,756 1,756 70 All income from charitable attivities is unrestrirted. Xnvestment receipts Unrestricted Restricted 2025 2024 8ank interest Dividend5 1,291 1,982 1,291 1,982 1,863 2,887 3,273 3,273 4, 750 All investment income is unrestricted. 12
Northern Friends Peace Board Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 (continued) Payments relating directly to charitable artivities Ur>restricted Restricted 2025 2024 Staff costs Premises Publicity Offfice costs Travel and accommodation 51,485 3,297 138 2,442 1,897 51,485 3,297 138 2,442 1,897 49,058 3,113 69 2,504 1,077 59,259 59,259 55,821 All Expenditure on charitable actlvlties Is unrestrlcted. Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions None of the trustees nor any persons connected with them recelved any remuneration during the year Six (2024'.seven) trustees received travel and subsistence expenses during the year of £725 (2024.'£600.33) During the year, Till Geiger, a trustee of the charityi received £nil 12024:£400) as payment for editing work done for the charity during the year. No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charlty, Including guarantee5, during the year. Analysis of movement in restricted funds Balance ati January 2025 Asat31 December 2025 Receipts Payments Transfers Mollie Croysdale Charitable Trust Edith Maud Ellls 1985 Trust loo loo 2,500 2,500 loo 2,500 2,600 13
Northern Friends Peace Board Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025 (continued) Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds t5aiance ati January 2025 Asat31 December 2025 Receipts Payments Transfers General fund 77,815 47,453 (60,7841 64,484 4yaiance ati January 2024 A5at31 December 2024 Prevlous reporting period Recelpts Payments Transfers General fund 82, 702 51,958 (56,845) 77,815 82, 702 51,958 (56,845) 77,815 Name of fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund General fund Bank and cash balances available for general charitable activities. 14