SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
TRUSTEES’ REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
Charity No: 1025890
SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Trustees’ Report | 2 - 5 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 6 |
| Statement of Receipts and Payments | 7 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 8 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 9 |
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
TRUSTEES’ REPORT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
The Trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2024.
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Constitution and applicable law.
OUR PURPOSE AND ACTIVITIES
The Trust was formed to promote and advance public education and knowledge of the Renaissance. It fulfils its objectives through the production of a journal, bulletins, conferences, and seminars.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE
Preparation and planning continued in 2024 for our 2025 SRS conference, to be held in Bristol, 2-5 July 2025, in liaison with the organising committee at Bristol. We are also collaborating with the University of Warwick and the Warburg Institute on a one-day symposium celebrating the life and scholarship of our former Honorary Chair, Peter Mack, in November 2025. All of our schemes ran as usual: small and major conference funding, public engagement and museums grants, postdoctoral fellowships, our article prize and book prize, Crowdcast online seminar series. The Scholars of Colour MA Prize returned in 2024, having not run in 2023 owing to insufficient applicants. The (biennial) SRS Book Prize was awarded to Carla Roth for The Talk of the Town: Information and Community in Sixteenth-Century Switzerland (OUP, 2022). We held the SRS Annual Lecture at St Mary’s Priory, Abergavenny, on ‘Piety, Passion and Poetry in C17th Wales’ in June 2024. This drew a wider public than our London-based annual lectures of old, and was a thrilling afternoon music, comment and cake, chaired by Rev. Rowan Williams .
Our publications, the Bulletin and Renaissance Studies both appeared as usual, with Renaissance Studies doing reasonably well in an increasingly difficult market for journal publication. Although it published a fairly large number of Open Access articles in 2024, with some special issues and articles of which associated with major research projects, the OA income fell overall, as did subscription revenue. Nonetheless, the journal is performing better than many of its peers. We also advertised and interviewed for a new Editor for Renaissance Studies as our current Editor and Associate Editors’ terms come to an end in 2025. We continue to pursue the possibility of publishing the Bulletin online, to save on increasing postage costs.
Our new investment policy was finalized in February 2024, following planning by the Finance Committee in consultation with Council. We also completed the data clean of the members’ database and implemented the agreed increase in membership fees in 2024.
A joint mentorship scheme with the Early Modern Scholars of Colour (EMSOC) network was reviewed (with the help of a participant survey) and, subsequently, relaunched in November 2024. We also established plans for inperson meet-ups for members of the scheme in 2024 and 2025.
Following interest expressed by the incoming President of the RSA, and further discussion at Council, we sent a formal set of proposals for potential collaborations for review by RSA in summer of 2024. These included peer-topeer networks, collaboration on short-term research fellowships at European libraries and researcn institutions, and an extension of our shared conference plenary scheme. The response from RSA was mixed but they made it clear that they would like the conversation to continue.
Finally, we reviewed and formalised our policy of Council meeting once annually in person, and twice online, which saves on expenses and makes our meetings more sustainable. The Society remains indebted to those members of Council who work tirelessly on its behalf. The total volunteer hours is approximately 1000, which amounts to about half a year of free working time, all donated by individuals, many under particular professional pressures at their own institutions .
Public benefit statement
In shaping our objectives for the year and planning our activities, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, including the guidance ‘public benefit: running a charity’ (PD2). The achievements and activities above demonstrate the public benefit arising through the Charity’s activities.
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (Cont/d)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The Society is in a very healthy financial state. The Trustees can be very satisfied with the Society’s financial position, with total cash balance amounting (at the yearend) to £262,433 (2023 - £259,211) and an investment valued (at the year) at £Nil (2023 - £Nil).
RESERVES POLICY
It is the policy of the Trustees to maintain reserves at a sufficient level to enable activities in the medium term. Reserves are at a level to guarantee the continuation of activities despite any unexpected shortfalls in income.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The Society was formed through the establishment of a constitution adopted in January 1990 and as amended in May 1991, May 1993, May 2006 and May 2015. It was registered as a charity on 13[th] September 1993 under charity number 1025890.
Status
The Society is an unincorporated association whose aims and objectives, together with its structure and governance, are determined by its constitution.
Organisation
The Governing Body of the Society shall be a Council. The Chair of the Council shall ex-officio be Chair of the Society. The Council shall meet at least twice per annum.
The Council shall consist of the following officers: the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Irish Representative, the Scottish Representative, the Welsh Representative, the Editor(s) of Renaissance Studies, the Associate Editor of Renaissance Studies and the Editor(s) of the Bulletin. The Council shall also comprise the ex-Chair, the ex-Treasurer, and the ex-Secretary for one year following their term of office. The Council shall also contain up to twelve elected members. These members of Council will be asked to take on portfolios as advised by the officers and agreed by Council. As far as possible, all Council members should hold a portfolio. The Council shall have the right to co-opt three members.
Appointment of trustees
There shall be six trustees of the Society: the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and two Trustees from the Council, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting [AGM]. These elected Trustees will be nominated and elected by the AGM and will serve terms of two years. The role of Trustee is compatible with that of any office or portfolio.
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (Cont/d)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Charity Number: 1025890
Trustees
Dr Jane Grogan (Chair) Dr Hannah Murphy (Vice Chair) Dr Rachel Willie (Secretary) Dr Natalya Din-Kariuki (Treasurer) Dr Kevin Killeen (Trustee) Prof. Nandini Das (Trustee)
Principal Office: University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ
Independent Examiner: Mr David Terry
Ramon Lee Ltd, 93 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4BA
Bankers: CAF Bank Limited, 25 Kings Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent ME19 4JQ
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (Cont/d)
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES
The charity trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:
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(a) select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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(b) observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;
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(c) make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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(d) state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures that must be disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
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(e) prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the Trust Deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
APPROVAL
This report was approved by the Board and signed on its behalf by:
PROFESSOR JANE GROGAN (CHAIR) TRUSTEE
24[th] October 2025
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REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT EXAMINER TO THE TRUSTEES OF
SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
I report on the accounts of the Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024, which are set out on pages 6 to 8.
This report is made solely to the charity's trustees, as a body, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the charity's trustees those matters I am required to state to them in an independent examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity's trustees as a body, for my Independent Examination, for this report, or for the opinions I have formed.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent Examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
DAVID TERRY – CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT RAMON LEE LTD 93 TABERNACLE STREET LONDON EC2A 4BA
24[th] October 2025
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
| Reciepts Profit share and royalty Membership, subscriptions and other fees Reciepts from sale of investments Dividend Income Interest Income Total reciepts Payments Busaries and fellowships Journal expenses Computer and website expenses Bulletin expenses Conference expenses (including travel grants) Sundry expenses Council member's expenses and meeting costs Museum and gallery Independent examiners fee Investment management fees Total payments Net of reciepts/(payments) Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
2024 2023 £ £ 72,131 69,042 4,295 7,956 76,426 76,998 - 1,074 - 170 555 1,095 76,981 79,336 47,546 38,156 18,324 17,353 498 250 3,238 1,867 2,837 1,162 60 60 377 1,355 879 - - 1,320 - 128 73,760 61,651 3,222 17,686 157,440 139,754 160,662 157,440 UNRESTICTED FUND |
|---|---|
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
AS AT 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
| CASH FUNDS Bank current accounts TOTAL CASH FUNDS INVESTMENT ASSETS Other quoted securities TOTAL INVESTMENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS |
2024 2023 £ £ 262,433 259,211 262,433 259,211 - - - - 262,433 259,211 UNRESTICTED FUND |
2024 2023 £ £ 262,433 259,211 262,433 259,211 - - - - 262,433 259,211 UNRESTICTED FUND |
|---|---|---|
| 259,211 | ||
| - | ||
| - | ||
| 259,211 |
Approved by the Trustees on 24[th] October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
……………………………………………………. PROFESSOR JANE GROGAN (CHAIR)
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SOCIETY FOR RENAISSANCE STUDIES
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] DECEMBER 2024
1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES
- 1.1 The receipts and payment accounts have been drawn up as a summary of the receipts and payments made during the year by the charity. Amounts are included as received by the charity or as cheques are drawn. The accounts and statements do not include accruals and prepayments in respect of income and expenses.
The receipts and payments accounts and statements of assets and liabilities have been prepared following the guidance for accounting for smaller charities issued by the Charity Commission.
- 1.2 Investments are initially recognised at their transaction value and subsequently measured at their fair value as at the balance sheet date using the closing quoted market price.
2. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
None of the Trustees received any remuneration during the year. Travel costs reimbursements of £Nil for 2024 (2023 – £Nil) were paid to Trustees (2023 – Nil).
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