2025-12-31-accounts - Society For The Study Of French History

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Trustees' Annual Report for the period

From

Period start date Period end date 1 January 2025 31 December 2025 To

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name[Society for the Study of French History ]

Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1012899

Charity's principal address 9 Sandle Road

Bishop’s Stortford Hertfordshire Postcode CM23 5HY

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
	Dr Jackie Clarke	Chair
	Professor Marisa Linton
	Professor Munro Price
	Professor Hanna Diamond
	Dr Luc-André Brunet	Secretary

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

TAR

2025

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Dr Gareth Oakland – Treasurer

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Constitution

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted

Association

(eg. trust, association, company)

Appointed by the Steering Committee and Trustees with ratification by Trustee selection methods AGM

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.

Trustees

The Trustees oversee the finances of the society; adjudicate in the competitions for the grants, bursaries, and prizes. They consult on matters of strategic importance to the Society.

The Steering Committee

The Committee runs the day-to-day affairs of the society and responds to requests and proposals from other organisations and individuals. The Committee meets twice a year, once in January and once at the Annual Conference. Its membership consists of the Trustees, the officers and Committee members, including postgraduate representatives. Elections of officers and Committee members take place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Officers normally serve for three years. In accordance with the Society's constitution, forthcoming vacancies are announced three weeks before the AGM.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

The aims of the Society are to advance, support and encourage the study of the history of France and the Francophone world and to enhance the awareness of this history among the general public in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Society publishes an associated journal, French History; holds an annual conference, and an annual public lecture; offers material assistance and incentives for the study of and research into French history conducted at Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom

TAR

2025

and Republic of Ireland; and seeks to encourage the teaching of the history of France and the Francophone world in the secondary and higher sectors of education in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Trustees and Committee have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit and the objectives of the Society in awarding prizes, making grants, holding an annual conference and an annual public lecture, publishing a Journal, French History , and supporting the Studies in Modern French and Francophone History Monograph Series at the Manchester University Press .

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

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2025

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

policy on grantmaking;
policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

Section D Achievements and performance

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2025

Section D Achievements and performance

The Society was pleased to undertake the following activities during the Summary of the main year: achievements of the charity during the year Prizes and Grants

The Society awards five prizes of between £500 and £3,000 to scholars for their work on learned articles and books. Eight grants of between £500 and £1,000 were made to post-graduates and early-career scholars to enable their research. Eight payments of between £100 and £500 were made to post-graduates to attend the Paris conference. The Society has agreed to increase the value of its awards for the 2026 cycle. Annual Conference

The Society held a successful conference in Paris in the summer of 2025 which was co-hosted by our sister organisations in France and the United States of America. The Douglas Johnson Annual Lecture The annual Douglas Johnson lecture, which is supported by the Society and the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France, was held at the Institut français in London on 13 January 2025. The lecture was given by Professor Hanna Diamond. The event was recorded to increase access, and the recording is available on the Society’s youtube channel. Membership Membership of the Society includes a subscription at significantly discounted rates to the journal French History, which is published four times a year on behalf of the Society by Oxford University Press. Every issue of the journal includes a ‘Society News’ section, which allows members to keep in touch with the society’s activities and includes news of forthcoming events and details of recipients of the society’s prizes and bursaries. Journal

The editors of French History reported that the material published continues to be of a high standard and the journal has attracted some very significant articles across periods and locations. The journal was edited by Dr Claire Eldridge and Dr Tom Hamilton. The associate editors were Dr Erika Graham-Goering and Dr Will Pooley. Studies in Modern French and Francophone History Monograph Series, Manchester University Press Edited by Jennifer Sessions, Julie Kalman, Jessica Wardhaugh This series is published in collaboration with the Society for the Study of French History and the French Colonial Historical Society. It aims to showcase innovative monographs and edited collections on the history of France, its colonies and imperial undertakings, and the francophone world more generally since c. 1750. The series is particularly receptive to studies that break down traditional boundaries and conventional disciplinary divisions.

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2025

Section E Financial review

The Society maintains sufficient reserves to ensure that, should the profit Brief statement of the share arrangement with the OUP cease, it will be able to maintain its charity’s policy on reserves activities for at least a further year. It aims to bring its editorial, grant, bursary and prize award activity into balance with its available funding. Details of any funds materially None in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information)

The Society receives the majority of its funding from a profit share You may choose to include arrangement with Oxford University Press (OUP) relating to the additional information, where publication of its journal French History. relevant about: • the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);

how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;
• investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

TAR

2025

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Dr Jackie Clarke Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc) Date 29/07/26

TAR

2025

Society for the Study of French History	Society for the Study of French History	Society for the Study of French History	No (if any) 1012899
Receipts andpayments accounts
For the period from	Period start date 01-Jan-25	To	Period end date 31-Dec-25

Section A Receipts and payments	Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ 35 923 - - 5 133 - - - 41 056 - - - 41 056	Restricted funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - -	Endowment funds to the nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - -	Total funds to the nearest £ 35 923 - - 5 133 - - - 41 056 - - - 41 056 8 500 7 818 10 350 4 475 1 908 75 - - - 33 126 5 133 - 5 133 38 259 2 797 - 67 787 70 584
OUP Profit Share	35 923
French Embassy Manchester Universityreinbursement	-
	-
Accumulated interest on NS&I account	5 133
	-
	-
	-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	41 056

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-
*Sub total*	-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
Prizes	8 500	-	-	8 500
Bursaries	7 818	-	-	7 818
Conferences and lectures	10 350	-	-	10 350
French HistoryJournal	4 475	-	-	4 475
Administration	1 908	-	-	1 908
Bank charges	75	-	-	75
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
**Sub total **	33 126	-	-	33 126

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
Accumulated interest added to NS&I account	5 133
	-
**Sub total **	5 133
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
	2 797			2 797
	-			-
	67 787			67 787
	70 584			70 584

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

29/07/2026

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B1 Cash funds	Details Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) NS&I Postal Account TSB Current Accout Details Details Details	Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 70 584 - - 70 584 OK Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 43 455 - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates	Restricted funds to nearest £
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			-
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			OK
			Restricted funds to nearest £
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			-
			-
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			Cost (optional)
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			Cost (optional)
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			Amount due (optional)
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Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

J. Clarke

Signature

Print Name

Jackie Clarke

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

29/07/2026

Last year

to the nearest £

40 306 500 2 792 - - - - 43 598

43 598

6 000 3 889 3 400 7 208 2 792 63 - - - 23 352

23 352 20 246 - 47 541 67 787

CCXX R3 accounts (SS)

29/07/2026

Endowment funds to nearest £

OK Endowment funds to nearest £

Current value (optional)

When due (optional)

Date of approval

29/07/2026

CCXX R4 accounts (SS)

29/07/2026

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner"s Report Raport to th• tru8to8$1 memb•Ks of iety forthe Stuty of French Hiskny On accounts for tho yoar •nd•d Charlty r (If any) 1012899 S•t out on pag l port lo the trustees on my examlnation of the ac£ounts of the alx)v6 charity (1ho Sogew) for the year 31 Dember 2025. R•spon$lbllltl•4 and AS the chanty trustees of the Sttiety. you are reapon8ible for the of r•port preparation of acajunts in wlth the wulrement8 of Charities Act 2011 (Ihe Acr). I report in re8pecl ol my examinatlon of the Sodety's aCunts carrfed t under sedion 145 01 the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinatlon, I have fdlow•d the apF4icea)le Diredions given by the Charty Cornm1¢n under section 145(5)(b) oftho A Independent I have completed my examinatim. I that no material matters have •xaminer'8 Stat•mont come lo my attenllon In connection with the &Yaminats'on which gives me ¢au8e to believe that in. any material re8kXCt: aceounting ro$ re not kept in accordarKe with 8¢Ction 130 of theAdor the accounts do not &conl with tho acoJuntSng records. I have no cM¢ems and have come 38 no other matters in conna¢tion with th8 examination lo which allention should be drawn In order to enable a propw wrndIng ofthe x¢x)unts lo b& reached. 8lgnod: Name: Rol•vant profomlonal qualKlcatlon(s) or body (If any): EfiTofe (c (PFrt) PuQLiC ce *o4fJ tKCCQ IT(fvJCW Add Sectioi) B Disclosure Only rmplete rf the examiner needs to high1h1 matters of nCern (see CC32, Independent examirialion of dwty axxAmts: direct50ns and guldance ft)r examiners). ER October 2018