THE CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY

Charity number: 1136030
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

Advance education by promoting debating, hosting educational events, training members and public in debating for debating competitions. Encourage the exchange of ideas and provide access by the public to the Charity's facilities and events; provide workshops for local school children to introduce them to debating and enable students and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 30 June 2024

Total income:
£2,362,229

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Donations and legacies £20
Charitable activities £354.52k
Other trading activities £1.84m
Investments £164.81k
Other £4.14k

Total expenditure:
£2,476,003

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Raising funds £1.51m
Charitable activities £960.59k
Other £4.74k

£0 investments gains (losses)

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.

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Raising funds and other expenditure £1.52m
Charitable expenditure £960.59k

People

47 Employee(s)

14 Trustee(s)

132 Volunteer(s)

Employees with total benefits over £60,000

Number of employees
£80k to £90k 1

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
Who the charity helps:
  • Children/young People
  • The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps:
  • Provides Other Finance
  • Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
  • Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
Where the charity operates:
  • Cambridgeshire

Governance

Registration history:
  • 20 May 2010: Standard registration
  • 05 July 2011: Funds received from 282774 CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:

No other names

Company number:
07091173 Open in new window
Gift aid:
Recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
No information available
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Campaigns and political activity 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
  • 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
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

14 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
Roberta Simone Rennie Trustee 28 March 2025
None on record
Anoushka Kale Trustee 28 March 2025
None on record
Professor Graham Virgo KC Trustee 29 January 2025
None on record
Dr Gillian Tett OBE Trustee 29 January 2025
THE KING'S COLLEGE OF OUR LADY AND SAINT NICHOLAS IN CAMBRIDGE
Received: On time
Dr Elisabeth Kendall Trustee 29 January 2025
ALTAJIR TRUST
Received: On time
Angela Hampshire-Broughton Trustee 29 May 2024
None on record
Dr Mohamed El Erian Trustee 01 June 2023
None on record
Lord Stephen Graeme Parkinson OBE Trustee 31 May 2023
None on record
Sara Catherine Nathan OBE Trustee 31 May 2023
EALING AND ACTON SUPPORT ENTERPRISE
Recently registered
Philip Sutton Harrison Trustee 15 December 2022
None on record
DAVID NICHOLAS ROBINSON Trustee 05 December 2017
None on record
Rachel Green Trustee 30 November 2017
None on record
David Henry Branch Trustee 12 July 2016
None on record
John Nicholas Heath Trustee
CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC LTD
Received: On time
THE LETTERING & COMMEMORATIVE ARTS TRUST
Received: On time

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 30/06/2020 30/06/2021 30/06/2022 30/06/2023 30/06/2024
Total gross income £756.25k £645.32k £2.19m £2.12m £2.36m
Total expenditure £898.65k £994.20k £2.30m £2.46m £2.48m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants £29.61k N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income - Donations and legacies £2.57k £312 £3.24k £10.25k £20
Income - Other trading activities £280.20k £191.36k £1.63m £74.05k £1.84m
Income - Charitable activities £288.77k £264.73k £396.36k £333.09k £354.52k
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £155.10k £130.20k £77.92k £120.14k £164.81k
Income - Other £29.61k £58.71k £78.30k £26.15k £4.14k
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Charitable activities £663.86k £677.23k £891.48k £2.46m £960.59k
Expenditure - Raising funds £234.78k £264.07k £6.76k £5.83k £1.51m
Expenditure - Governance £17.86k £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Grants institution £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Investment management £7.18k £1.77k £6.76k £5.83k £0
Expenditure - Other £0 £52.91k £1.40m £0 £4.74k

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.

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Asset / Liability 30/06/2020 30/06/2021 30/06/2022 30/06/2023 30/06/2024
Own use assets £7.45m £11.17m £10.80m £8.96m £9.43m
Long-term investments £2.09m £0 £0 £1.76m £1.05m
Other assets £2.55m £324.55k £837.96k £363.55k £663.85k
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £673.99k £2.15m £1.64m £2.15m £2.32m

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 30 June 2024 23 December 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 June 2024 23 December 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 June 2023 18 March 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 June 2023 18 March 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 June 2022 10 April 2023 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 June 2022 10 April 2023 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 June 2021 19 April 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 30 June 2021 19 April 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 30 June 2020 28 May 2021 28 days late
Accounts and TAR 30 June 2020 28 May 2021 28 days late Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Governing document

Details of the type of governing document the charity has and when it was established.
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 11 DECEMBER 2009 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION 8 MAY 2010

Charitable objects

3.1 THE GENERAL OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY (LISTED BELOW) ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY MEMBERS AND OF THE PUBLIC MORE GENERALLY. THE CHARITY'S PRIMARY OBJECT IS THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION, IN PARTICULAR BY: 3.2.1 PROMOTING THE SKILL OF DEBATING AND THE CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS OF PUBLIC LIFE OR IMPORTANCE; 3.2.2 HOSTING EDUCATIONAL EVENTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DEBATES ON TOPICS OF IMPORTANCE AND LECTURES GIVEN BY INDIVIDUAL PERSONS OF DISTINCTION; 3.2.3 PROVIDING TRAINING IN THE PRACTICE OF DEBATING TO CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY MEMBERS AND ALSO BY PROVIDING FOR THE TUITION OF OTHERS IN THE PRACTICE OF DEBATING BY CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY MEMBERS; 3.2.4 PROVIDING FOR THE ENTRANCE OF CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY MEMBERS IN DEBATING COMPETITIONS, INCLUDING COMPETITIONS HELD BY THE CHARITY, AND ALSO BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO COMPETE IN THE PRACTICE OF DEBATING; 3.2.5 ASSISTING CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' UNION WITH THE ORGANISATION AND PROMOTION OF EVENTS AIMED AT WIDENING ACCESS TO CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AND THE PROMOTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION MORE GENERALLY; 3.2.6 PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND PROVISION OF ACCESS BY THE PUBLIC TO THE CHARITY'S FACILITIES AND EVENTS; 3.3.2 PROVIDING WORKSHOPS FOR THE PUPILS OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES TO ATTEND TO INTRODUCE THEM TO THE PRACTICE OF DEBATING; AND 3.3.3 ENABLING STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS TO PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS AIMED AT INCREASING THEIR CONFIDENCE, SKILLS AND ASPIRATIONS."

Area of benefit

The area the charity can operate in, as set out in its governing document.

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LOCAL

Contact information

Address:
CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY
9A BRIDGE STREET
CAMBRIDGE
CB2 1UB
Phone:
01223566421
Email:
info@cus.org
Website:

www.cus.org Open in new window