How we are governed
How NSEMM is run
NSEMM is a charitable incorporated organisation governed by a board of trustees. It was started in Kent in 2020 by Adrian Angol-Henry and Socks Ansell while they were in sixth form, and moved to Nottingham when they went to university there. We follow the Charity Governance Code.
5
Trustees on the board
2024
Registered as a charity (CIO)
2020
Founded during sixth form
Our trustees
NSEMM is governed by a volunteer board of five trustees, who are legally responsible for setting our strategy, safeguarding our mission, and ensuring we meet all our legal, ethical, and financial obligations. Our Student and Parent Ambassadors provide valuable community insight but are not involved in the day-to-day running of the charity.
How decisions are made
Student-led innovation, collective decisions
The trustees make decisions together at board meetings, and record them as resolutions. Some decisions are delegated to the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Education Officer acting together, and reported to the next board meeting. The board reviews risks at its meetings.
Our governance principles
- Safeguarding excellence: policies, regular training, and expert oversight led by our Level 3 safeguarding-trained Designated Safeguarding Lead.
- Financial stewardship: responsible management of charitable funds, with our full accounts publicly filed with the Charity Commission.
- Risk management: regular risk assessments at board meetings to evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Board performance: annual board performance evaluation, ensuring trustees remain effective and accountable.
- Student voice: most trustees are, or were recently, students.
- Inclusive leadership: representing learners across all educational levels, from college through university.
- Data protection: GDPR-compliant policies safeguarding all personal information, detailed in our policy documentation.
A note on financial reporting
Why we don’t lead with an “overhead ratio”
Many charities publish a single “percentage spent on the cause” figure. We deliberately don’t lead with one.
- The sector has moved on: major charity evaluators publicly disowned the overhead ratio as a marker of quality over a decade ago.
- It can penalise good charities: a low ratio often means under-investing in the systems, staff and evaluation that actually make a charity effective (the “nonprofit starvation cycle”).
- The regulator agrees: the Charity Commission itself cautions against judging charities this way.
- One number is easily skewed: at our scale, a single insurance renewal or software subscription can move it, telling you very little on its own.
Our full accounts are filed with the Charity Commission and available on request, so anyone who wants the real detail can see it.
Standards & commitments
We align ourselves with national standards and ethical frameworks that reflect our commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and integrity.
Achieved
Current accreditations
- Disability Confident Committed: committed to inclusive employment and recruitment practices.
- The Halo Code Signatory: supporting natural hair acceptance in education and the workplace.
- Fundraising Regulator: registered for ethical fundraising practices with the UK regulator.
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) Member: part of the national voluntary sector community.
Achieved
Best practice commitments
- NSPCC Safeguarding Assessment: biannual self-evaluations against national safeguarding standards.
- Charity Governance Code: aligned with recommended sector best practice for trustee boards.
- Fair Employment Practices: paid tutors get the Real Living Wage, above the minimum wage.
In progress
Development goals
- NCVO Trusted Charity Standard: actively working towards full certification.
- Living Wage Employer Status: committed to achieving the formal accreditation.
- Disability Confident Level 2: advancing inclusive recruitment beyond our current Level 1 status.
Safeguarding & protection
Our safeguarding promise
We carry out NSPCC safeguarding self-assessments every six months, and the board reviews our safeguarding policies. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Adrian Angol-Henry, who holds Level 3 Safeguarding Adults and Children training, the health-sector Intercollegiate Document standard, and leads our policy development, training, and incident response. Socks Ansell, our Chief Education Officer, is Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. To report a concern, use NSEMM Protect. In an emergency, call 999.
Governance documents
Access all our governance documents, policies, and transparency records. We believe in complete openness about our operations, decisions, and impact to ensure accountability to our community and stakeholders.
Our comprehensive policy documents include equality, privacy, and operational procedures that guide our daily operations and strategic decision-making. View our policies.
Our foundational governing document outlining our charitable objectives, governance structure, and operational framework as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. View the Constitution.
Our safeguarding pathway exists to make safeguarding at NSEMM understandable and easy to navigate for everyone, staff, volunteers, students and families alike. Our full safeguarding policy can be accessed through it. Visit our safeguarding pathway.
Our comprehensive annual report including financial overview, reinvestment strategy, and board performance evaluation demonstrating our impact and accountability. View the Impact Report.
Official charity registration details, annual returns, and regulatory compliance information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales. View our Charity Commission entry.
Charity registration
The National Society for Education, Mentoring and Media (NSEMM)
Registered charity in England and Wales. Charity Number: 1209673. The Charity Commission monitors NSEMM’s compliance with charity law and ensures we operate solely for charitable purposes.
NSEMM HQ: Suite 74, Unit 6 Sneinton Market, Gedling Street, Nottingham, NG1 1DS.
Get in touch with our governance team
If you have questions about how NSEMM is governed, or would like further information about our trustees, policies, or governance procedures, we are here to help. We welcome questions and feedback.