REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 06771027 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1146170

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5 APRIL 2026

FOR

SENSE ABOUT SCIENCE

Page

Reference and Administrative Details

1

Report of the Trustees

2

to

7

Independent Examiner's Report

8

Statement of Financial Activities

9

Balance Sheet

10

Cash Flow Statement

11

Notes to the Cash Flow Statement

12

Notes to the Financial Statements

13

to

19

TRUSTEES

Dr M J Fitzpatrick (resigned 5.12.25)

Prof P J Hardaker (resigned 4.12.25)

Prof R H Lovell-Badge FMedSci FRS

Mr J Bruun (resigned 15.5.25)

Mr J Wren

Prof W Van Saarloos

Professor P A Garner

Professor L J Yellowlees

Mr M A Conradi

Dr M U Fonjallaz Björkstén

Ms S Bhattacharya

Ms C Guinard (appointed 23.7.25)

Dr R Tucker (appointed 22.7.25)

Professor N Grobert (appointed 22.7.25)

Mr S Denegri - Chair of Trustees (appointed 1.7.25)

Dr A Allegra (appointed 8.11.25)

COMPANY SECRETARY

Ms T Brown

REGISTERED OFFICE

41 Portland Place

London

W1B 1QH

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER

06771027 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER

1146170

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER

McCabe Ford Williams

Chartered Accountants

Charlton House

Dour Street

DOVER

Kent

CT16 1BL

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 5 April 2026. The trustees have adopted the provisions 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 UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and Aims

The charity has two main objectives:

1. To advance the education of the public in any branch of scientific research (including social science) and in particular by the dissemination of such research and useful information about such research; and

2. To promote (for the benefit of the community) the knowledge and understanding of the public of, and to stimulate interest of the public in, the creation, presentation and use of scientific research.

Significant Activities

Our charitable activities:

- Provide advice on scientific matters to the media, policy makers, the general public and others.

- Produce educational materials on scientific issues for the public as well as researchers and others.

- Respond to misleading or false information by providing the public with relevant scientific evidence.

- Promote the importance of independent scientific advice for public policy.

Much of the fund generation occurs through the day to day work of the staff and volunteers. Focused fundraising activities are carried out by the development team, including grant proposals, project and programme partnerships and public appeals.

Public Benefit

The trustees of the charity have had due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit. The charity's objectives and aims have been reviewed taking this guidance into consideration and the trustees have noted the extensive achievements of the charity and the contribution it makes to public life

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Charitable and fundraising activities

1. Become the public voice on evidence

Our mission is to engage and mobilise people to pursue high standards of evidence in public life, including challenging organisations and politicians to be transparent about the evidence they use and provide a clear chain of reasoning.

Evidence transparency in government

The public - and officials and experts - should be able to see the evidence behind policy decisions. Without transparency, it is difficult to understand the motivation for a policy, decide whether we agree with it or consider whether it is working. As part of our 'Show Your Workings' campaign we conducted a snap transparency review of six recently announced policy measures including the Crime and Policing Bill, the 10-year Health Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework. We found that only three out of the six policies met our transparency test.

In 2025 we also shifted our work to a more direct conversation with government about failures. This garnered the support of Chief Scientific Advisors within Government and senior analysts. We have drafted an evidence playbook to help protect analysts' publication of evidence from policy pressures. Publication of this was postponed to 2026 to allow better uptake by the new Government.

Public good curation:

Concerns about misinformation and attacks on research have prompted censorious responses and appeals to the authority of science - approaches that have not inspired public confidence in reliable sources of knowledge. Fears are growing about mistrust and about a loss of public support for scientific research and knowledge.

In light of this, we produced a guide 'The People's Case for Curators' which championed the role of 'public good' curators - librarians, editors, specialist journalists and research bodies - and the crucial role they play in the selection, investigation and oversight of information for the public. The guide provides a compelling contrast with negligent curation (such as attention-seeking algorithms that decide social media feeds) and a publicly-backed celebration of genuine inquiry as a counterpoint to weaponised information gathering. The guide was cocreated with librarians, editors and journalists themselves including Grant Hill-Cawthorne (House of Commons Librarian), Dr Leo S Lo (Dean of Libraries and University Librarian, University of Virginia), Richard Nevell (Programme Manager, Wikimedia UK) and many others.

The Guide was disseminated via panel discussions at high profile events including 'Who will tell me what's going on? The role of curators in the information wars' at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting and 'Restoring Confidence in Science: Information Curation as a Pillar of Public Engagement and Knowledge Integrity' at the Annual Libraries Conference in Charleston.

AllTrials Campaign

The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 was formally signed into law in April 2025, making it a statutory requirement from 2026 for all medicinal clinical trials to register and publish a summary of results within 12 months of the end of the trial. This announcement marks a turning point for clinical trial transparency in the UK but will only be effective if enforced by the HRA and MHRA. We will continue to monitor compliance when the law comes into force.

2. Establish Evidence-Know-How as a public goal

Our goal is a research community that is willing, able and cognizant of its capacity to empower others; and recognition and increased adoption of our approach - through VoYS, public engagement partnerships and putting public empowerment at the heart of the international evidence movement.

Voice of Young Science: engaging early career researchers in public debate

The Voice of Young Science (VoYS) network is our unique network of around 6000 Early Career Researchers (ECRs) who are trained and motivated at the start of their careers to be inspired and take responsibility for the public conversation around science and evidence.

Over this year we delivered six Standing up for Science workshops with four in-person workshops held in London, Norwich, Manchester and Edinburgh and two online workshops. At these sessions, ECRs heard from panels of more experienced researchers as well as expert journalists, academics, and policymakers on how to engage in the public discussion around science and research. Around 200 ECRs participated in VoYS workshops across our programme in 2025.

To further support ECRs having tricky conversations about research and evidence, we began producing a new monthly shareable resource on a range of topics to build their confidence. This year, they included 'Three key lessons for effective engagement,' "Talking about Systematic Reviews' and 'Top tips for engaging policy makers as a researcher.'

Bespoke policy engagement and communicating research for policy training was delivered to researchers from across Norwich Research Park as well as to members of Applied Microbiology International.

Confidence in research

We continued our partnership with Elsevier to support ECRs be able to communicate confidently about research evidence and research practice with the public, policy and media. This year we created the "Confidence in Communicating Research" webinar series. These webinars, co-created with research leaders, ECRs and science organisations, aimed to equip researchers to tackle misinformation and convey complex topics like research integrity and uncertainty. Each webinar also offers resources and training collated from partners around the world, to enhance your communication skills, helping you confidently discuss the societal impacts of your research.

Research Integrity Toolkit

Research integrity refers to all the factors that underpin good research practice and promote trust and confidence in the research process. It is foundational for building public trust in science. A lack of integrity undermines scientific credibility, risks spreading misinformation and potentially harming those who depend on reliable research findings. We cocreated a straightforward toolkit with ECRs to help establish credible research practices from the start and build a career founded on integrity and scientific excellence.

Public engagement partnerships

OSIRIS

Reproducibility is crucial to the progress and impact of research and Innovation as it confirms or corrects the outcomes of single studies, resulting in higher quality research, more reliable and implementable outcomes, and a reduction of research costs. As part of an EU Horizon project 'Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science', and in collaboration with researchers from the Netherlands, Italy, France Czechoslovakia and the UK, we have delivered workshops with researchers to cocreate training resources to help embed research practices which improve reproducibility.

SeaCure

The SeaCURE project is a pilot that is testing a new way to take carbon dioxide out of seawater, to see if it can help slow down or reverse climate change. In partnership with researchers from the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, we have run workshops with the local community in Weymouth to understand their questions and concerns and to cocreate a public interface for the research and its outputs.

Adult Tonsilectomy

In the past 20 years the number of tonsillectomies has declined, and this has coincided with an increase in acute hospitalisation for complications with tonsillitis. There was limited evidence about the clinical effectiveness and value for money of tonsillectomy compared with medications and local commissioning decisions have resulted in variations in access to surgery. In collaboration with the University of Newcastle, we ran workshops with patients, professionals and members of the public to produce an accessible summary of the findings of new tonsillectomy research indicating that tonsillectomy in adults is effective for treating recurrent tonsillitis in reducing the number of days of sore throat and offering value for money for the NHS.

Risk Know-How

We continued our partnership with Lloyd's Register Foundation (LRF) to develop understanding of 'Risk Know-How' focused on supporting communities to make sense of risk. Our Risk Know-How platform, framework and training, is now a unique international resource on actionable risk information, achieving recognition in discussions from the UN to the UK parliament, and making an impact with diverse audience from Mexican journalists to Spanish floods.

We have developed practical tools in safety critical systems and where the conversation about action needs support (climate adaptation in Kenya, AI commissioning skills & tools, extreme weather alerts). We have also created and distributed a full series of downloadable Risk Know-How Toolbox Talks for the construction industry, designed and tested by HSE representatives in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, targeted for English as a second language.

We also delivered an exhibition of Risk Know-How in the LRF building, showcasing the initiative's achievements and global impact, with reflections on how the initiative has strengthened the use and accessibility of risk information across diverse contexts and supporting communities and decision makers make safer, more informed choices about risk.

Evidence Week in UK parliament

In its eighth year, Evidence Week in Parliament created space for transparent conversations by bringing researchers, parliamentarians and the public to Westminster. From the members of the public who posed questions at the 'reverse' committee hearing to the MPs to peers who learned from researchers at the policy briefings, Evidence Week 2025 served to inform those on all sides of policymaking. Sense about Science, in partnership with the Quadram Institute and community partners across the UK, opened Evidence Week with a 'reverse' committee hearing, which allowed placed the public in the driver's seat, questioning national experts, MPs and peers about the issues that matter most to them. We conducted a nationwide hunt for the most pressing questions and received submissions from half of all UK constituencies. They ranged from how parliamentarians correct misinformation, apply new findings and consider people's lived experiences to question about the cost-of-living crisis, immigration and education system reform.

The hearing was followed by two days of quickfire policy briefings by researchers from all over the UK on a range of topics including net zero emissions, value-based prison metrics, improving NHS accessibility and regional health inequalities, to name a few. By providing relevant, applicable evidence, researchers and MPs were able to form mutually beneficial connections that have the potential to result in real change.

During the week, researchers were able to create over 340 new connections and reach 148 different parliamentary offices - nearly a 33% increase from offices engaged in the previous Evidence Week.

The annual Evidence Week reception brought an insightful, lively debate between Sharon Hodgson MP, The Baroness Walmsley, The Baroness Boycott, Professor Martin Warren of the Quadram Institute and Emma Rourke of the Office for National Statistics. The panel of experts discussed 'Hidden hunger' and other challenges of evidence and data for decision makers. Our Chief Executive Tracey Brown chaired the debate and asked, "Are the statistics hiding the full picture?"

Evidence Week also provided parliamentary staff training sessions throughout the week to empower them with tools to do exactly this. With over 250 staff signing up, the sessions sought to enhance relevant, invaluable skills like fact checking AI-generated content, combatting disinformation in the digital age and applying statistics in real-world situations, to name a few. These bite-size sessions were delivered by organisations including Smart Data Research UK, The Office for National Statistics, The House of Commons Library, Full Fact and Risk know-how.

Responsible Handover

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science tools are emerging all around us, with applications ranging from medical to agricultural, financial to defence. At every level in society there is justified concern about bad decisions resulting from AI if organisations misunderstand how to use them, or don't properly assess the strengths and weaknesses of outputs before implementing them.

This year we submitted evidence to Parliament about the use of personalised medicine and AI in healthcare noting the failure to handover critical knowledge of AI systems between each stage of its development is a key barrier when attempting to translate research, through regulatory approval, to adoption by the NHS. We put forward some points of consideration to help mitigate this key barrier, as well as the specific emerging challenges including: having usable, trustworthy information about tools the NHS is asked to adopt; putting in place a standardised, transparent documentation of AI tool lifecycle; and implementing clear commissioning frameworks that translate regulation into practice.

The Responsible Handover Framework has been integrated into the new Hoppa site, an AI-powered document analysis platform for the built environment sector. It was also integrated into the new Ensembl Beta site at EMBL-EBI, which is one of the world's most widely used resources for exploring and annotating genomes.

3. Cultivate frank discussion about difficult evidence

We aim to capture and communicate our ethos, insights and achievements, to increase their influence and improve support.

The John Maddox Prize: Standing up for Science

The John Maddox prize is a joint initiative of the charity Sense about Science and the leading international scientific journal Nature. The prize has been awarded annually since 2012 to individuals who stand up for sound science and evidence, advancing the public discussion of difficult topics despite challenges or hostility.

The 2025 Maddox Prize was awarded to Virginia Burkett in recognition of her significant body of work to improve understanding of the impact of climate change on ecosystems, and for her insistence that these impacts were appropriately and honestly represented. Judges were impressed by her persistence, as a government adviser and an expert in coastal systems, in the face of opposition.

The 2025 Early Career Award was awarded to Nicolás Zanetta-Colombo for his exceptional efforts in engaging communities living near copper mines in Chile, documenting heavy metal impacts on the surrounding environment. Judges noted his innovative, inclusive approach to the research and to the dissemination of its findings. They highlighted his courage in the face of opposition to both the engagement of the community and the emerging evidence, and the potential for the long-term impact of this work.

The judges also highly commended Andrew Macintosh for providing the scientific evidence that exposed a misuse of the carbon credit scheme for planting trees in the Australian outback, and shortlisted Edward Barbier.

Leveraged resources

Across all of the organisation's' projects, we estimate that we have leveraged a further c£220,000 of support taking into account the extensive resources now hosted by the Risk Know-How platform, expert and partner input as well as UKRI-funded internships.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

The charity held funds at the year end totalling £329,914 (2025 - £373,400).

Reserves policy

The Trustees actively review the policy in line with planned strategy and future commitments. The trustees aspire to hold six months fixed costs in reserve, in order to support organisational resilience and sustainability, to invest in new areas of work and maintain cashflow and continuity of business. Progress is reviewed at meetings of the Governance and Planning Committee and the amount set aside is revised in accordance with projected income and expenditure.

Going concern

The trustees are confident that the charity has sufficient reserves and income streams to continue for the foreseeable future.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, the articles of association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The Deed gives the power to elect or co-opt individuals to the charity. Trustees serve a 4 year term followed by a possible renewable term of 3 years. The Governance and Planning Committee maintains an overview of skills and experience needs and a succession plan is maintained in consultation with the board of trustees. Trustee vacancies are advertised and potential trustees are also identified through Sense about Science's wider networks.

A trustee resource is maintained and all trustees participate in induction sessions. Policies relevant to trustees are included within the staff handbook.

Organisational structure

The charity is registered as a company limited by guarantee. The Board of Trustees meets four times a year, including a strategy session. During the year there were an average of eleven trustees.

The charity specifies that a Chair should be elected annually. In the event of no alternative nominations, the current Chair is automatically elected at the final meeting of the year.

The Governance and Planning Committee is a subcommittee of the Board which provides in depth review and challenge of policies, resources and financial planning, budgeting and reporting. It reports to the Board three times a year. Remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer is reviewed by an ad hoc group led by the Chair and the Chair of the Governance and Planning Committee.

Activities are coordinated by a small office team and supported by a wide network of organisations and volunteers from all areas of science and society.

The trustees' policy is to ensure that the charity is not dependent upon a single source of funding and receives its financial support from a diversity of funding sources: it currently receives funding from trusts and foundations, individual scientists and members of the public, learned societies, and scholarly publishers. Donations are governed by a funding policy and the charity fundraising strategy aims for diverse sources of funding. No grant or funding of any kind entitles any organisation to decision-making authority. External funding will not divert Sense about Science from its agreed aims and values.

Key management remuneration

Remuneration for the staff is agreed by the Director/Director's team, under the oversight of the Governance and Planning Committee. The Director's remuneration is agreed by the Chair in consultation with the Board of Trustees.

Risk management

The Board and, through delegated responsibility, trustees on our Governance and Planning Committee, regularly review the major risks that the organisation faces in terms of its charitable objectives, finances, governance and leadership, statutory compliance and reputation. These are updated and reviewed on an ongoing basis and a risk appetite, mapping high, medium and low risks is prepared quarterly so that trends over time can be identified.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 27 October 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

Mr S Denegri - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Sense About Science ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 5 April 2026.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4.

the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Mr John Sheather BSc FCA

McCabe Ford Williams

Chartered Accountants

Charlton House

Dour Street

DOVER

Kent

CT16 1BL

Date: .............................................

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

3

364,467

-

364,467

239,214

Charitable activities

5

Projects

121,104

309,334

430,438

552,062

Investment income

4

3,985

-

3,985

4,143

Total

489,556

309,334

798,890

795,419

EXPENDITURE ON

Fundraising projects

14,790

-

14,790

14,481

Charitable activities

6

Projects

533,923

293,663

827,586

807,234

Total

548,713

293,663

842,376

821,715

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(59,157

)

15,671

(43,486

)

(26,296

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

222,199

151,201

373,400

399,696

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

163,042

166,872

329,914

373,400

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

funds

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

13

149,493

-

149,493

40,723

Cash at bank and in hand

14

150,226

178,666

328,892

393,297

299,719

178,666

478,385

434,020

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

15

(136,677

)

(11,794

)

(148,471

)

(60,620

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

163,042

166,872

329,914

373,400

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

163,042

166,872

329,914

373,400

NET ASSETS

163,042

166,872

329,914

373,400

FUNDS

17

Unrestricted funds

163,042

222,199

Restricted funds

166,872

151,201

TOTAL FUNDS

329,914

373,400

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 5 April 2026.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 5 April 2026 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 27 October 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

Mr S Denegri - Trustee

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash generated from operations

1

(68,390

)

37,953

Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities

(68,390

)

37,953

Cash flows from investing activities

Interest received

3,985

4,143

Net cash provided by investing activities

3,985

4,143

Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period

(64,405

)

42,096

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period

393,297

351,201

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period

328,892

393,297

1.	RECONCILIATION OF NET EXPENDITURE TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2026

2025

£

£

Net expenditure for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities)

(43,486

)

(26,296

)

Adjustments for:

Depreciation charges

-

221

Interest received

(3,985

)

(4,143

)

(Increase)/decrease in debtors

(108,770

)

84,187

Increase/(decrease) in creditors

87,851

(16,016

)

Net cash (used in)/provided by operations

(68,390

)

37,953

2.	ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

At 6.4.25

Cash flow

At 5.4.26

£

£

£

Net cash

Cash at bank and in hand

393,297

(64,405

)

328,892

393,297

(64,405

)

328,892

Total

393,297

(64,405

)

328,892

1.	STATUTORY INFORMATION

Sense About Science is an incorporated charity, limited by guarantee without share capital, registered in England and Wales. The charity's registered number, principal address and nature of operations can be found in the Report of the Trustees.

The presentation currency of the financial statements is the Pound Sterling (£).

2.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Donated goods are recognised at fair value when received, where material. Donated facilities and services are only recognised where the charity would otherwise have purchased them, their value to the charity can be measured reliably and the amount is material.

The charity benefits from support it would not otherwise have purchased, including expert and partner input and externally funded internships. In accordance with the Charities SORP, this support is not recognised in the financial statements. Further details are given in the Report of the Trustees.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, 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 is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

The charity provides for depreciation on a 20% straight line basis in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

The charity has a capitalisation policy where by tangible assets are only capitalised if they cost more than £500. Tangible assets under £500 are written to the statement of financial activities as an expense.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

Foreign currencies

Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result.

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

3.	DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2026

2025

£

£

Donations (including gift aid)

364,467

239,214

4.	INVESTMENT INCOME

2026

2025

£

£

Bank interest

3,985

4,143

5.	INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES

2026

2025

Activity

£

£

Grants

Projects

430,438

552,062

The reduction in grant income compared with the prior year is primarily due to £110,500 (2025: £NIL) of grant funding being deferred to future accounting periods. Please see note 19 for details on the deferred income.

6.	CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Support

Direct

costs (see

Costs

note 7)

Totals

£

£

£

Projects

813,366

14,220

827,586

7.	SUPPORT COSTS

Governance

costs

£

Projects

14,220

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

2026

2025

Total

Projects

activities

£

£

Independent examiner's remuneration

3,960

3,988

Board of trustees' meetings

41

1,107

Trustees' expenses

1,712

1,220

Sundries

137

619

Bookkeeping and payroll

8,370

8,073

14,220

15,007

8.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

2026

2025

£

£

Independent examiner's remuneration

3,960

3,988

Depreciation - owned assets

-

221

Rent

65,468

48,557

9.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 5 April 2026 nor for the year ended 5 April 2025.

Trustees' expenses

In the year ended 5 April 2026, £1,082 (2025 - £1,220) was reimbursed to four trustees. The charity also incurred a further £630 of costs in relation to trustee training.

10.	STAFF COSTS

2026

2025

£

£

Wages and salaries

496,260

554,053

Social security costs

50,763

50,094

Other pension costs

15,439

17,411

562,462

621,558

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

2026

2025

Employees

10

12

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

2026

2025

£60,001 - £70,000

1

2

£70,001 - £80,000

1

-

£101,000 - £110,000

1

1

3

3

The total amount of key management personnel benefits (including employer pension contributions and employer national insurance contributions) received by key management personnel for their services to the charity was £333,226 (2025 - £324,710).

Staff redundancy payments

During the year redundancy payments totalling £NIL (2025 - £2,154) were made.

11.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

funds

funds

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Donations and legacies

239,214

-

239,214

Charitable activities

Projects

247,266

304,796

552,062

Investment income

4,143

-

4,143

Total

490,623

304,796

795,419

EXPENDITURE ON

Fundraising projects

14,481

-

14,481

Charitable activities

Projects

516,161

291,073

807,234

Total

530,642

291,073

821,715

NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

(40,019

)

13,723

(26,296

)

Transfers between funds

4,674

(4,674

)

-

Net movement in funds

(35,345

)

9,049

(26,296

)

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

257,544

142,152

399,696

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

222,199

151,201

373,400

12.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Office

equipment

£

COST

At 6 April 2025 and 5 April 2026

6,189

DEPRECIATION

At 6 April 2025 and 5 April 2026

6,189

NET BOOK VALUE

At 5 April 2026

-

At 5 April 2025

-

13.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Operating debtors

135,158

39,723

Other debtors

14,335

1,000

149,493

40,723

14.	CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND

General fund

Lloyds Register Foundation

5.4.26Total funds

5.4.25Total funds

£

£

£

£

Interest savings account

121,854

178,666

300,520

379,225

Bank current accounts

27,907

-

27,907

9,120

Euro account

465

-

465

4,951

150,226

178,666

328,892

393,297

15.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Operating creditors

13,363

34,519

Social security and other taxes

14,227

13,936

Other creditors

10,381

12,165

Deferred income

110,500

-

148,471

60,620