THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
The GA's mission is the advancement of education for the public benefit by furthering geographical knowledge and understanding through the promotion and dissemination of good practice in geographical teaching and learning. It operates mainly in the UK. Funding is derived from membership subscriptions, sales of educational resources, training event fees and externally funded curriculum projects.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 August 2024
Total income:
£1,274,684
Donations and legacies | £124 | |
Charitable activities | £1.16m | |
Other trading activities | £0 | |
Investments | £47.03k | |
Other | £64.25k |
Total expenditure:
£1,323,160
Raising funds | £17.58k | |
Charitable activities | £1.31m | |
Other | £0 |
£193,833 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 | £17.58k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.31m |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £17.58k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.31m | |
Retained for future use | £145.36k |
People

18 Employee(s)
13 Trustee(s)
30 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
No employees have total benefits over £60k for this charityFundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Children/young People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Other Charitable Activities
- Throughout England And Wales
Governance
- 24 March 2010: Standard registration
No other names
- 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
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
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 | ||||
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Alastair John Owens | Chair | 01 September 2021 |
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Catherine Owen | Trustee | 01 September 2024 |
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John Hopkin | Trustee | 01 September 2023 |
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Mark James Froud | Trustee | 01 September 2023 |
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Sophie Wilson | Trustee | 01 September 2023 |
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Robert Chambers | Trustee | 01 September 2023 |
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Denise Ann Howlett | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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James Hagan Nana Esson | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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Lawrence Michael Bate | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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Anthony Barlow | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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Hina Robinson | Trustee | 01 September 2021 |
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Peter Alan Brock | Trustee | 01 September 2021 |
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DR Paula Richardson | Trustee | 01 September 2017 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/08/2020 | 31/08/2021 | 31/08/2022 | 31/08/2023 | 31/08/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £1.11m | £953.69k | £1.07m | £1.13m | £1.27m | |
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Total expenditure | £1.05m | £962.85k | £1.27m | £1.22m | £1.32m | |
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Income from government contracts | £222.41k | N/A | N/A | £13.72k | N/A | |
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Income from government grants | £18.02k | £52.73k | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £25.21k | £0 | £10.02k | £28 | £124 | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £48.36k | £60.20k | £66.88k | £59.43k | £0 | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £1.01m | £866.77k | £958.42k | £1.03m | £1.16m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £20 | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £32.24k | £26.73k | £30.96k | £40.82k | £47.03k | |
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Income - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £64.25k | |
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Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £10.00k | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £1.03m | £943.52k | £1.25m | £1.19m | £1.31m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £15.61k | £19.33k | £22.41k | £27.00k | £17.58k | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £28.31k | £0 | £16.93k | £28.58k | £39.98k | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £15.61k | £17.71k | £22.41k | £27.00k | £17.58k | |
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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 | 31/08/2020 | 31/08/2021 | 31/08/2022 | 31/08/2023 | 31/08/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | £293.45k | £279.15k | £322.44k | £325.29k | £273.76k | |
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Long-term investments | £1.70m | £1.92m | £1.73m | £1.66m | £1.83m | |
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Other assets | £503.65k | £579.66k | £514.41k | £446.33k | £521.24k | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | -£84.74k | -£105.75k | -£237.32k | -£242.87k | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | £395.26k | £364.14k | £391.80k | £396.44k | £434.11k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 August 2024 | 23 May 2025 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 August 2024 | 23 May 2025 | On Time | |
Annual return | 31 August 2023 | 08 May 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 August 2023 | 08 May 2024 | On Time | |
Annual return | 31 August 2022 | 17 May 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 August 2022 | 17 May 2023 | On Time | |
Annual return | 31 August 2021 | 23 December 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 August 2021 | 23 December 2021 | On Time | |
Annual return | 31 August 2020 | 23 November 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 August 2020 | 23 November 2020 | On Time |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 28 JANUARY 2010
Charitable objects
THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY FURTHERING GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH THE PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICE IN GEOGRAPHICAL TEACHING AND LEARNING.
Area of benefit
UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, NATIONALLY.
Contact information
- Address:
-
THE GEOGRAPHICAL ASSOCIATION
160 SOLLY STREET
SHEFFIELD
S1 4BF
- Phone:
- 01142960088
- Email:
- info@geography.org.uk
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