DURHAM STUDENTS' UNION

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
Durham Students' Union provides representation, advice, support and activities for over 17,000 students of Durham University. Alongside seeking to improve students' education, we also work with students to ensure they have sufficient, varied and appropriate opportunities to develop their skills and qualities, while also providing broader community and cultural developmental opportunities.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 July 2024
Total income:
£2,639,032
Donations and legacies | £1.56m | |
Charitable activities | £959.44k | |
Other trading activities | £102.51k | |
Investments | £12.38k | |
Other | £0 |
Total expenditure:
£2,655,631
Raising funds | £167.24k | |
Charitable activities | £2.49m | |
Other | £0 |
£12,376 investments gains (losses)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £167.24k | |
Charitable expenditure | £2.49m |
People

32 Employee(s)
13 Trustee(s)
9000 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£70k to £80k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- General Charitable Purposes
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- Disability
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Recreation
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Durham
- Stockton-on-tees
Governance
- 11 January 2012: Standard registration
- DSU (Working name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
13 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liam Isaac | Trustee | 15 September 2023 |
|
|
||||
Haf Atiqa Serajee | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Mx Jack Joseph Cody Carroll | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Daniel Lonsdale | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Anna Grace Robinson | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
William Brown | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Dylan Barnaby Walker Jones | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Benjamin James Thomas | Trustee | 01 August 2023 |
|
|
||||
Frederick Fossey-Warren | Trustee | 01 March 2023 |
|
|
||||
Deborah Acheampong | Trustee | 01 August 2022 |
|
|
||||
Graeme Aaron Osborn | Trustee | 01 August 2021 |
|
|||||
Hannah May Louise Sketchley | Trustee | 01 August 2021 |
|
|
||||
Clare Caroline Angell Powne | Trustee | 08 November 2018 |
|
|
Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/07/2020 | 31/07/2021 | 31/07/2022 | 31/07/2023 | 31/07/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total gross income | £2.63m | £1.66m | £2.39m | £2.55m | £2.64m | |
|
Total expenditure | £2.56m | £1.51m | £2.45m | £2.50m | £2.66m | |
|
Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
|
Income from government grants | N/A | £149.17k | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
|
Income - Donations and legacies | £1.52m | £1.35m | £1.25m | £1.45m | £1.56m | |
|
Income - Other trading activities | £138.41k | £9.07k | £48.86k | £0 | £102.51k | |
|
Income - Charitable activities | £210.08k | £298.69k | £1.10m | £1.02m | £959.44k | |
|
Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Investment | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £12.38k | |
|
Income - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £81.86k | £0 | |
|
Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Charitable activities | £2.26m | £1.30m | £2.29m | £2.38m | £2.49m | |
|
Expenditure - Raising funds | £301.51k | £216.66k | £156.60k | £124.56k | £167.24k | |
|
Expenditure - Governance | £5.11k | £5.57k | £8.09k | £7.85k | £9.98k | |
|
Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/07/2020 | 31/07/2021 | 31/07/2022 | 31/07/2023 | 31/07/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Own use assets | £229.12k | £178.08k | £134.35k | £114.23k | £74.28k | |
|
Long-term investments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Other assets | £667.48k | £779.30k | £771.94k | £840.75k | £856.50k | |
|
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Total liabilities | £136.67k | £53.85k | £55.07k | £56.16k | £48.55k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
---|---|---|---|---|
Annual return | 31 July 2024 | 30 April 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2024 | 30 April 2025 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2023 | 16 April 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2023 | 16 April 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2022 | 27 April 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2022 | 27 April 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2021 | 02 February 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2021 | 02 February 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 July 2020 | 30 April 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 July 2020 | 30 April 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 01/07/2011 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 03/07/2012 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION(S) DATED 16/01/2015
Charitable objects
9. THE UNION'S CHARITABLE OBJECTS ARE THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY:- 9.1 PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE EXPRESSION OF STUDENT OPINION AND ACTIVELY REPRESENTING THE INTEREST OF STUDENTS; 9.2 ACTING AS A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION IN DEALING WITH DURHAM UNIVERSITY AND OTHER EXTERNAL BODIES; 9.3 PROMOTING THE INTERESTS AND WELFARE OF STUDENTS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY DURING THEIR COURSE OF STUDY, AND REPRESENTATION, SUPPORTING AND ADVISING STUDENTS; 9.4 FACILITATING THE SOCIAL, RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS, THROUGH PROVIDING SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR ITS MEMBERS; 9.5 SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE COMMON ROOMS; 9.6 WORKING WITH OTHER STUDENTS' UNIONS AND AFFILIATED BODIES; AND 9.7 RAISING FUNDS FOR SUCH PURPOSES AS ARE CHARITABLE ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF ENGLAND AND WALES AND TO MAKE GRANTS AND DONATIONS OF SUCH FUNDS TO OTHER EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE BODIES OR TO APPLY SUCH FUNDS DIRECTLY FOR SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES.
Contact information
- Address:
-
DURHAM STUDENTS UNION
DUNELM HOUSE
NEW ELVET
DURHAM
DH1 3AN
- Phone:
- 0191 334 1777
- Email:
- info@durhamsu.com
- Website:
Tell us whether you accept cookies
We use cookies to collect information about how you use your Charity Commission Account, such as pages you visit.
We use this information to better understand how you use our website so that we can improve your user experience and present more relevant content.
Thank you for your feedback. Do you have 5 minutes to tell us what you think of this service?Open in new window