ENGLISH- SPEAKING UNION OF THE COMMONWEALTH

Charity number: 273136
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

The promotion of good communication in the English language through public speaking and debate; running educational programmes; initiating and administering scholarships; youth and academic exchanges. The charity focuses on oracy development in schools, promoting social equality and international understanding and facilitates and assists in the establishment of independent ESUs worldwide.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024

Charitable expenditure

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.

Fundraising

No information available

Trading

One or more trustees are also directors of the subsidiaries

Trustee payments

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
  • Arts/culture/heritage/science
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • Other Defined Groups
  • The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Individuals
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
  • Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
Where the charity operates:
  • Throughout England And Wales
  • Albania
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bermuda
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Egypt
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lithuania
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Nigeria
  • Northern Ireland
  • Norway
  • Pakistan
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Scotland
  • Serbia
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Switzerland
  • Tajikistan
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United States
  • Yemen
  • Zimbabwe

Governance

Registration history:
  • 29 March 1977: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Other
Other names:
  • ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION (Working name)
  • ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION OF THE COMMONWEALTH (Previous name)
Company number:
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
No information available
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Land and property:
This charity owns and/or leases land or property

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

12 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Simon Kearey Trustee 06 December 2023
OYAP TRUST
Received: On time
WIDMER END UNITED JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
Received: On time
NEW MOZART ORCHESTRA
Received: On time
LITTLE CHALFONT PRIMARY SCHOOL FUND
Received: On time
WYCOMBE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE
Received: On time
Francesca King Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
Sophia Taylor Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
Rebecca Preen Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
David Hatchett Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
Professor Jane Setter Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
Nicholas Archer Trustee 06 December 2023
None on record
Miles Young Trustee 01 June 2023
None on record
Stephen Purcell Trustee 22 February 2021
None on record
Danny Preiskel Trustee 22 February 2021
None on record
Richard Humphreys Trustee 22 February 2021
None on record
Laurence Mutkin Trustee 22 February 2021
None on record

Financial history

" role="img"> Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.

Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/03/2020 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024
Total gross income £3.06m £2.15m £2.30m £2.54m £2.75m
Total expenditure £3.06m £2.35m £1.39m £2.05m £3.34m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants N/A £185.00k £24.00k N/A N/A
Income - Donations and legacies £113.00k £227.00k £75.00k £45.00k £105.90k
Income - Other trading activities £384.00k £0 £176.00k £485.00k £502.77k
Income - Charitable activities £956.00k £301.00k £386.00k £373.00k £421.40k
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £1.61m £1.62m £1.66m £1.63m £1.72m
Income - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £50.00k
Expenditure - Charitable activities £2.34m £2.34m £857.00k £1.49m £2.72m
Expenditure - Raising funds £722.00k £5.00k £534.00k £560.00k £621.05k
Expenditure - Governance £177.00k £245.00k £6.00k £67.00k £420.78k
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £12.87k
Expenditure - Investment management £0 £0 £0 £0 £93.95k
Expenditure - Other £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Assets and liabilities

Definitions for assets and liabilities
Own use assets

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 Investments

Investments 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.

Other assets

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 liability

This is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.

Total liabilities

These 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.

" role="img"> Text alternative for this canvas graphic is in the data table below.
Asset / Liability 31/03/2020 31/03/2021 31/03/2022 31/03/2023 31/03/2024
Own use assets £11.94m £11.61m £11.72m £18.22m £18.30m
Long-term investments £28.70m £28.90m £29.24m £30.97m £31.33m
Other assets £819.00k £1.08m £2.41m £2.50m £1.90m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £608.00k £638.00k £534.00k £552.60k £718.53k

Accounts and annual returns

This table shows the charity's record of submitting annual returns, accounts and trustees' annual report (TAR) for the last five financial periods.
Title Reporting year Date received Received Download
Annual return 31 March 2024 08 January 2025 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2024 08 January 2025 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2023 17 January 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2023 17 January 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2022 20 October 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2022 20 October 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2021 24 November 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2021 24 November 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 March 2020 21 July 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 March 2020 21 July 2020 On Time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Contact information

Address:
DARTMOUTH HOUSE
37 CHARLES STREET
LONDON
W1J 5ED
Phone:
02075291550
Email:
esu@esu.org