THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LIMITED

Charity number: 277992
Charity reporting is up to date (on time)

Charity overview

Activities - how the charity spends its money

To promote research and study across all branches of biology through the publication of journals: Development, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open. To provide free access to journal content in the developing world and to fund workshops, grants and travelling fellowships to support the scientific community.

Income and expenditure

Data for financial year ending 31 December 2023

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

This charity does not have any trading subsidiaries.

Trustee payments

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

What, who, how, where

What the charity does:
  • Education/training
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
  • Arts/culture/heritage/science
  • Environment/conservation/heritage
Who the charity helps:
  • Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
  • Other Defined Groups
  • The General Public/mankind
How the charity helps:
  • Makes Grants To Individuals
  • Makes Grants To Organisations
  • Provides Advocacy/advice/information
  • Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
  • Other Charitable Activities
Where the charity operates:
  • Throughout England And Wales
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • China
  • Costa Rica
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Egypt
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Madagascar
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Scotland
  • Singapore
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • The Bahamas
  • Ukraine
  • United States
  • Uruguay

Governance

Registration history:
  • 27 June 1979: Standard registration
Organisation type:
Charitable company
Other names:

No other names

Company number:
Gift aid:
Not recognised by HMRC for gift aid
Other regulators:
No information available
Policies:
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • 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
  • 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
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

13 Trustee(s)

Name Role Date of appointment Other trusteeships Reporting status of other trusteeships
PROF SARAH JANE BRAY Chair 05 July 2023
None on record
Professor Steven Kelly Trustee 05 July 2024
None on record
Professor Austin Smith Trustee 05 July 2024
None on record
Dr Sarah Elizabeth Lowell Trustee 10 July 2019
None on record
Professor Holly Shiels Trustee 15 November 2018
THE FISHERIES SOCIETY OF THE BRITISH ISLES
Received: On time
Dr Stephen Royle Trustee 15 November 2018
None on record
PROFESSOR PETER W J RIGBY FRS Trustee 26 February 2016
None on record
Dr BRUCE SEAN MUNRO Trustee 04 July 2012
None on record
PROF LAURA MARIE MACHESKY Trustee 04 July 2012
None on record
Professor Jane Alison Langdale Trustee 04 July 2012
JOHN INNES CENTRE
Received: On time
PROFESSOR CLARE MARGARET ISACKE Trustee 07 October 2011
None on record
PROF DANIEL ST JOHNSTON Trustee
None on record
PROFESSOR ALAN MARTIN WILSON Trustee
None on record

Financial history

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Financial period end date

Income / Expenditure 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023
Total gross income £8.34m £7.75m £7.56m £7.56m £7.81m
Total expenditure £6.80m £6.25m £5.83m £6.90m £8.92m
Income from government contracts N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income from government grants N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Income - Donations and legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Other trading activities £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Charitable activities £7.42m £7.27m £6.90m £7.00m £7.27m
Income - Endowments £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Income - Investment £915.84k £473.33k £658.04k £558.49k £543.95k
Income - Other £5.22k £2.09k £1.60k £0 £0
Income - Legacies £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Expenditure - Charitable activities £6.45m £5.96m £5.32m £6.58m £8.61m
Expenditure - Raising funds £352.35k £294.83k £506.77k £315.58k £316.40k
Expenditure - Governance £116.29k £87.77k £82.57k £104.11k £95.94k
Expenditure - Grants institution £709.19k £679.81k £149.91k £492.42k £926.57k
Expenditure - Investment management £352.35k £294.83k £506.77k £315.58k £316.40k
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.

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Asset / Liability 31/12/2019 31/12/2020 31/12/2021 31/12/2022 31/12/2023
Own use assets £3.18m £3.23m £3.16m £3.12m £3.07m
Long-term investments £51.93m £59.42m £67.20m £60.59m £65.93m
Other assets £6.64m £6.91m £6.83m £8.22m £7.24m
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability £0 £0 £0 £0 £0
Total liabilities £5.43m £5.08m £4.86m £5.72m £5.72m

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 December 2023 05 September 2024 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2023 05 September 2024 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2022 23 August 2023 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2022 23 August 2023 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2021 22 September 2022 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2021 22 September 2022 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2020 29 June 2021 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2020 29 June 2021 On Time Download Open in new window
Annual return 31 December 2019 26 June 2020 On Time
Accounts and TAR 31 December 2019 26 June 2020 On Time Download Open in new window
Submit annual return Open in new window

Contact information

Address:
BIDDER BUILDING
STATION ROAD
HISTON
CAMBS
CB24 9LF
Phone:
01223632851