2024-10-31-accounts

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

SCO48547

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 OCTOBER 2024

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

The trustees have pleasure in presenting their report together with the accounts and the independent examiner’s report for the year ended 31 October 2024

Reference and Administrative Information

Charity Name

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

Charity Number

SCO48547

Address

44/3 Frederick Street

Edinburgh EH2 1EX

Current Trustees (Who form Management Committee)

Structure Governance and Management Constitution

The Charity is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (a SCIO). It was registered in its current legal form on 16 July 2018 It has a single tier structure and as such the trustees are the members of the charity.

Appointment of Trustees

Trustees are proposed and elected at the annual general meeting .

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UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (CONTINUED)

For the year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

Objectives and Activities

Charitable purposes

Activity towards “the prevention or relief of poverty”, "the advancement of education", "the advancement of citizenship or community development", "the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation", "the promotion of religious or racial harmony", "the promotion of equality and diversity", "the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage".

Chair’s Report

The year began with UNAS outlining three key goals that they wished to take forward this year in continuation of the previous year:

1. Define the UNHS / UNAS relationship both internally for ourselves and externally for others.

2. Strengthen existing partnerships and, where possible, form new ones with different organisations and UNAs in Scotland and the UK

3. Nurture partnerships within our branches at UNAS.

It was believed that while we had made progress in all three areas, further development could be made on each.

Indeed, what with a new Constitution being agreed, less focus was spent on defining the UNHS and UNAS relationship in the working group created for this purpose, but more so on defining it in the public space. The support team at UNHS also began work on the UNAS website. All branches ensured that the information on their branch was up-to-date and was informative as possible.

Partnerships were also maintained over the course of the year and new ones were formed. Georgiana, the UNAS Vice Chair, attended the Summit of the Future in New York in September 2024 and widely shared her experience with UNAs in the UK, encouraging other young people to get involved.

Our third goal was to nurture partnerships with our branches. Multiple attendees from branches all over Scotland attended the Glasgow Remembrance Day Parade in 2023, providing encouragement that more in person collaboration and attendance will take place in 2024 and 2025. In fact, there has been suggestion of an in-person AGM with, of course, accommodations for those joining online.

It has been, as always, an absolute pleasure being Chair of UNA Scotland and I look forward to seeing where 2025 takes us.

Achievements and Performance

The year has been exceptionally busy for many of our eight branches and for our major Committee, UN House Scotland. Their reports indicate the wide range of activities undertaken and their collaboration with other civil society organisations.

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UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT (CONTINUED)

For the year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

Aberdeen Branch

It has been a busy year with a very successful meeting at the Town House in Aberdeen. It was on the Pact for the Future with Georgiana Bugeag and Nicholas Maulet as speakers. an ACC Councillor who Chaired the meeting, placed a Motion for Council to endorse it.

Edinburgh Branch

The Branch has continued to work closely with UNHS, based in our Frederick St Office. We have been delighted with the wide range of activities organised by the interns at UNHS and welcome the lease arrangement for the office accommodation.

Glasgow Branch

Chair’s statement: While COP28 may not have concluded with the unequivocally positive outcomes we all hoped for, the sheer presence and engagement of diverse individuals from around the globe left me inspired. The collective energy towards addressing climate challenges was palpable, and it felt like a significant step forward in mobilizing a broader community for sustainable change.

The Branch has been actively sharing updates on the COP28 experience via UNAG's social media page and have tagged UNHS whenever relevant. UNA Glasgow: Posts | LinkedIn It is crucial to leverage these platforms to amplify our collective voice and reach a wider audience.

Recently, as Chair of UNAG, I conducted a local session where I shared insights from COP29 and explained the key discussions and outcomes of the conference. I was delighted to have more than 20 women attend the session, actively engaging with the material and contributing to a vibrant dialogue. (I have attached a photo from the session for your reference.)

Building on this momentum, Glasgow Branch launched an online engagement series titled "Voices from COP-29. The series has already featured interviews with over three individuals from various countries, and I plan to share new content monthly. Additionally, I have written two blogs: one providing insight into what happens in the negotiation rooms at COP-29 and another summarizing the key outcomes of the conference. I am coordinating with Hannah to have these blogs published on the UNHS website to ensure they reach a wider audience.

We had 21 at the 2023 Remembrance Day parade including a Chinese family of 3 generations and 5 American students from Edinburgh one of whom volunteered to carry the UN banner.

Highlands and Islands Branch

The Branch continues to organise meetings with other charities and civil society organisations in Orkney. The focus has been on energy and renewable sources of energy.

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UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

TRUSTEES, ANNUAL REPORT (CONTINUED) For the year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024 St Andrews Branch We bave had a successful alld rewardillg year. We held weekly meetings, released regular podcast episodes alld POPS, and established UNA St Andrews, own Journalistn Conllnitlee. Since tlien, our Joiullalisiii leain has piiblislied several articles, incliith'ng a special issiie for the St Alldrews Law Review on huwall righis. We IMve increased our membership by appioximately 200 mejnbers (at £3 per member). During this period, we bave hosted several notable events. including two photojOun￿1lSrn events featt￿l￿g multi-award-Wll￿iIig photojownalists froin acioss the UK. Additionally, we licqN."e oi'Qcqillsed sei'ei'i21 fimlh'alse￿, sucb as the C1]ristn￿S thive for Shelter Scotlalld, the cbarity speaker event and fundraiser, as well as gelleral pub qiiizzes. Stirling Branch i the f￿st half of the acadenllc yeat 2023124, we OT83￿Sed several activities with out embers at tbe University of Stirling. For exalllple. in December 2023, we collaborated with othei. student societies to host a Charity Christmas Ceilidb for Fortli Valley Welcome. Forth Valley Welcome 'is a groi fonned in June 2015, dedicated to addressing the plight of vulnerable refiigees from s￿la, South Sudan, Sudan, Afgh￿lIstan, alld Ukrauie, (Forth Valley Welconie Webpage) MoTe infonnation available bere.. Foitli N-ollleTr 11.'clcoiiiL. Al the Cllllstmas Ceilidh. UNA Stirling and six other Uos societies n￿laged to raise a total amoullt of £855.30. Moreover, we attended guest-speaking events wilh our members related to international poliiics alld shared links to (onlille) events focused oll international politics, NGOS alld the Financial Review During the year, the charity ieceived vaTiOUS gratits as shown in the accouuts. so￿¢ of this Iiad not been sellt spent by 3 l October 2024 resulting ill a balance on restricted fiuids of £ 18,173 (2023 £ 13,648). There is a deficit Oll ijnrestricted funds as at 31 October 2024 of £1,115 (2023 £2.504) This deficit was as a result of an unexpected. essential repair being Ca￿led out. The trustees expect this deficit will be cleared in the year ended 31 October 2025. Approved by h￿Stee8 on 5 April 2025 and si￿]ed on their behalf by: Hana Shono Chair UNAS UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLALYD Year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024 INDEPENDENT EXÈIMINER'S REPORT

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 October 2024 set out on pages 6 to 8 .

Respective responsibilities 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 (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. The charity trustees consider that the audit requirement of Regulation 10 (1) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as required under section 44 (1) (c) of the Act and to state whether matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006. 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 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 consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, I noted that the unrestricted funds are overdrawn. As noted in the trustees report the trustees have measures in hand to rectify this situation. Otherwise, no other matter has come to my attention.

1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:

2. to keep accounting records in accordance with Section 44 (1) (a) of the 2005 Act and Regulation 4 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations; and

3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Accounts Regulations

have not been met; or

1. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

Year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS

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2024 2023

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total Funds Funds Funds Funds

Notes Receipts Donations Grants 4 Affiliation fees Payments Payments relating directly to charitable activities 5 Professional fees Governance costs Administration Surplus for the year STATEMENT OF BALANCES Bank balance as at 31 October 2023 Surplus for the year As at 31 October 2024		£ 1,364 - 740 2,104 - 715 715 1,389	£ - 65,869 - 65,869 57,222 - 3,942 61,164 4,705	£ 1,364 50,869 740 67,973 57,222 - 4,657 61,879 6,094 10,964 6,094 17,058		£ 4,174 59,378 720
						64,272
						49,701 - 7,398
						58,980
						5,292
						5,672 5,292
						10,964

The notes on pages 6 to 8 form part of these accounts Signed on behalf of all trustees on 5[th] April 2025

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

Year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

NOTES TO ACCOUNTS

1. Basis of Accounting

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The accounts have been prepared under the Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (as amended).

2. Nature and purpose of funds

Unrestricted funds are those that may be used at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the objects of the charity. The trustees maintain a single unrestricted fund for the day to day running of the charity.

Restricted funds may only be used for specific purposes. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for a specific purpose.

3. Trustees

4 trustees received any money during the year. Payments consisted of stipends and expenses paid to trustees as reimbursement of payments made on behalf of United Nations Association Scotland

4. Grants received

2024 Unrestricted Restricted Funds Funds £ £ Joseph Rowntree Trust - 50,869 Foundation Scotland - 15,000 UNWRA - - _ _ - 65,869	Total £ 50,869 15,000 - 65,869	2023 Total £ 59,073 - 305 59,378

Funding from Joseph Rowntree Trust was for International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. This grant is received by the charity to be shared with two other partners Foundation Scotland fund was for delivery of model UN workshops for schools.

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND

Year ended 31 OCTOBER 2024

NOTES TO ACCOUNTS

	2024		2023
Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
Funds	Funds
£	£	£	£

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5. Cost of Charitable activities

Payment to Partners - IT & media - Travel - Stipends - Other - ___ - 6. Restricted Funds Balance at 31 October 2023 £ International Campaign to Abolish nuclear weapons 13,468 MUN - =====	38,766 38,766 854 854 7,198 7,198 9,491 9,491 913 913 57,222 57,222 51,582 Grant Spent Balance at 31 October 2024 £ £ £ 50,869 (46,164) 18,173 15,000 (15,000) - ===== ======= ======

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