British Council Europe

Although we receive a government grant in aid, the British Council is operationally independent from the UK government. All our work contributes to our purpose and Royal Charter (PDF 180kb) aims: '[to] advance, for the public benefit, any purpose which is exclusively charitable and which shall (a) promote cultural relationships between the people of the United Kingdom and other countries; (b) develop a wider knowledge of the English language; and (c) encourage educational co-operation between the United Kingdom and other countries, support the advancement of United Kingdom education and education standards overseas, and otherwise promote education.' Subsidiary undertakings The British Council has a group structure which, in addition to the British Council charity, includes subsidiary undertakings in the UK and overseas. See a list of all British Council group entities (PDF 120kb) . Information about these separate legal entities is in the governance statement and notes to the accounts sections of the British Council’s annual reports. Accountability and regulation We are held to account both as a charity and as a non-departmental public body. Corporate reports Download our annual report, corporate plan, gender pay gap report, management statement and financial memoranda. Code of Conduct This Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to cultural relations work that is ethical, has integrity, and has the well-being, inclusion and fair treatment of our colleagues and the peop Finance Where our income comes from, and how we spend it. How we work with government We strategically align our work to the long-term international priorities of the UK government and the devolved governments. How we work with parliament We keep MPs and peers informed about our work, and draw on their support. Global Policy Statements Our policies ensure that we meet the highest standards across all our areas of work. Services for UK education, English teaching and exams providers How we develop contract opportunities for the sector, and the services we offer providers in each country.