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2021-03-31-accounts

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date Period end date 01 04 2020 31 03 2021 From To

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name BRITISH TROLLEYBUS SOCIETY Other names charity is known by

Registered charity number (if any) 1033666 Charity's principal address 2 Josephine Court Southcote Road Reading RG30 2DG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity












Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not
for whole year
David Chick Chairman & Portfolio Leader, Publications
Andrew Barton Secretary& Portfolio Leader, Membership
RoyFawcett Portfolio Leader, Finance
Graham Bilbé Portfolio Leader, Engineering
Helen Cross Portfolio Leader, Policy
Development/Administration		 10 October 2020 – 1
April 2021
Paul Dicken 10 October 2020 – 1
April 2021
David Hall Portfolio Leader, Library/Archive & Website 10 October 2020 – 1
April 2021
Maria Teresa Harvey Committee member 1 April – 10 October
2020
Martin Harvey Deputy Chairman & Portfolio Leader, Policy
Development/Administration		 1 April – 10 October
2020
1 April – 10 October
2020
John Stainforth Burntwood Property Manager
Paul Weal Portfolio Leader, Sales
Francis Whitehead Portfolio Leader, Vehicles

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

1

Custodian trustees for the charity

Custodian trustees for the charity
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
1 Lord Stoddart of Swindon 1 April – 14 November 2020
2 David Beach
3 Robert Rowe
4 Professor Francis Terry

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

How the charity is constituted

Unincorporated association

Trustee selection methods

Elected by members at AGM

Section C Objectives and activities

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

The British Trolleybus Society (BTS), originally formed in 1961 as the Reading Transport Society (RTS), was registered as a Charity by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales on 24 February 1994.

The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Its primary charitable object is to educate the public about the operation and historical interest of public service vehicles, especially the trolleybus.

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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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)

(a) To maintain its vehicles and restore them to their original or an authentic condition, in order to display and operate them at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft in North Lincolnshire (b) To assist in the progress and maintenance of the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft (c) To publish a journal of the affairs of the Society (d) To promote general interest in the preservation of passenger transport vehicles, but particularly to encourage the restoration, maintenance and general well-being of preserved trolleybuses and trolleybus equipment

(e) To encourage the writing and publication of histories on trolleybuses, their operating systems and their technical equipment (f) To collect and maintain a library of such publications and other archival material that is relevant to trolleybuses

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Note: The Society’s financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. This report on the activities of the Society covers the twelve months to 31 March 2021. As has been the practice in previous years, for continuity this report also covers those planned events that have taken place since 31 March 2021.

AGM: The fifty-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Society, which considered the activities of the Society from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, was held as a Zoom videoconference because of the Covid19 pandemic. Maria Teresa Harvey, Martin Harvey and John Stainforth did not stand for re-election but Martin has continued to administer Gift Aid for the Society and John has continued in the role of Burntwood Property Manager. Thanks are due to Maria Teresa, Martin and John for their years of service on the Committee. Helen Cross, Paul Dicken and Dave Hall were elected to the Committee.

President The Committee was greatly saddened by the death of our President, Lord Stoddart of Swindon, in November. Lord Stoddart had been active in his role of Custodian Trustee and his wise counsel was always most welcome.

Finances: Subscriptions pay for all the costs of printing and distributing the magazines and the Society's running costs and make a contribution towards the cost of storing and maintaining the vehicle fleet.

The SponsorTrolley scheme makes a substantial contribution to vehicle storage and maintenance and helps to build funds for restoration. Most SponsorTrolley donations also qualify for Gift Aid, making the scheme even more valuable to the Society. We are grateful to these generous supporters and to David Beach, who continues to administer the scheme.

The Executive Committee is grateful to Roy Fawcett for his ongoing management of the Society’s finances, and to the independent examiner, Jim Gallagher. After more than 55 years, 54 of them as Treasurer, Roy is standing down from the Committee. We wish to thank him for his many years of dedicated service to the Society. Jim Gallagher is also retiring as Independent Examiner

Sales : The national restrictions which were introduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that no meetings or events have been held during the year under review, but our online sales have been very successful. In the present year events have restarted but the use of cash has reduced and so BTS Sales now has a card reader for credit and debit card sales. Thanks are due to our Sales Officer, Paul Weal, for raising significant sums of money for the Society.

Calendar: The Society’s 2021 calendar made around £300 profit for the BTS. Our thanks to Tony Belton for providing the photos and captions. Another calendar has been produced for 2022.

Monthly Prize Draw The Monthly Prize Draw provides funds for vehicle restoration. The 2020 Draw attracted 33 members, holding a total of 110 shares. The Draw yielded £1,280 towards the completion of the restoration of Bournemouth 99. The Draw normally takes place at the Reading meetings but since their suspension, the organiser has conducted it at home. The proceeds from the 2021 Draw will help to finance the repaint and necessary mechanical work to London 1812, so that it is fully serviceable on its return to Sandtoft; a record number of 44 members are taking part, holding a total of 136 shares. The organiser, Andrew Barton, is grateful to the participants for making this valuable contribution towards vehicle restoration.

Gift Aid: During the year under review the Gift Aid recovered amounted to £11,666. Our thanks to Martin Harvey for his work in recovering the substantial sum involved each year.

Membership: Membership as at 31 March was 271, of whom 13 are complimentary members; in addition 9 subscribe just to Bus Fare . Seventeen members, 5 of them overseas, receive their journals on-line. Nine members joined the Society during the year under review, all but one of them on-line. Sadly three members passed away during the year. Of the 254 members receiving their journal by post, 172 include email addresses in their membership records and thus receive their renewal reminders directly by email (their ability to receive the newsletter is an incentive). This eases the work of the membership secretary

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

and distribution officer in their not needing to prepare and send them renewal forms.

Members who had not renewed their subscriptions received a letter reminding them with their May 2021 issue of Trolleybus ; about half of them have since renewed.

Since the end of the last financial year 3 members have joined the Society. The membership at the end of July 2021 stands at 270.

Publications: The Society’s three magazines (Trolleybus, Bus Fare and Wheels) are all published monthly and we wish to thank the Editorial and production teams (Dave Chick, Jody White, Bruce Lake, James Cusworth and Philip Jenkinson) as well as everyone who supplies news, articles and photos, and Derek Pearson, who envelopes and posts our journals plus inserts every month, turning them round very quickly after receiving them. In addition the Society’s Publicity Officer, Paul Dicken, has introduced a News & Events monthly newsletter that has been distributed by email and has been much appreciated by members.

In September 2021 Philip Jenkinson has given notice of his resignation from the post of Production Editor and an appeal for a member to take on the design and layout of Trolleybus will appear in the December edition of Trolleybus. A new editor is also being sought for Wheels.

Website and Social Media: The BTS website continues to play an important role in recruiting new members. Our Facebook page now has more than 1200 followers. The Committee is grateful to Ashley Bruce our Webmaster and to Dave Hall and Simon Guppy who maintain the content.

TROLLEYBOOKS (joint publication panel of the BTS and NTA) "A London Trolleybus Reborn" by Dave Chick was published during the year

Bob Rowe, David Mulvey and Dave Chick are the BTS Trolleybooks Representatives and Roger Clark is the Trolleybooks Treasurer.

These publications significantly contribute to Society funds (£6000 in 2020 – 2021) and the Panel has an exciting schedule of new books in preparation.

MEETINGS Unfortunately no meetings have taken place since March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, well-attended monthly meetings have been held by Zoom videoconference. London meetings are restarting in September 2021 and Reading meetings in January 2022.

VEHICLES

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Thanks are due to Graham Bilbé and Francis Whitehead for their continuing leadership of this aspect of the Society’s work.

PUBLICITY

The appointment of a Publicity Officer has led to an increase in publicity for the Society, with articles about London 1812 generating donations for the restoration fund.

EVENTS

The Covid-19 pandemic prevented the Society from holding a Members’ Day in 2020. Other than the August 2021 Trolleydays at Sandtoft planned events to celebrate the Society’s 60[th] anniversary could not be held, there will be events in April 2022.

THE TROLLEYBUS MUSEUM AT SANDTOFT (TM@S)

The BTS has continued to work closely with the Board of Sandtoft Transport Centre Ltd. as one of the Museum's three supporting societies. There is now communication between the BTS Chairman and the Museum’s Chief Operating Officer prior to every Board meeting.

BTS and STCL also have a Joint Working Group to plan the Museum’s expansion and this is reported below.

BURNTWOOD

The BTS Burntwood Sub-Committee met several times and was wound up after its meeting in February, with its responsibilities transferring to either the BTS Committee or the Joint Working Group, as appropriate. John Stainforth produced a comprehensive handover document. The Sub-Committee comprised Dave Chick, Roy Fawcett, Martin Harvey and John Stainforth. We are grateful to them for their work.

Planning Permission to widen the Burntwood entrance gateway was granted in June 2020. We also received approval from North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) for the change of use of Burntwood to a combination of museum purposes and hostel accommodation. This made us eligible to switch from Council Tax to Business Rates, saving the Society about £2,000 per annum thanks to the charitable relief for which we are now eligible.

Because of the pandemic and the closure of the Museum less use was made of the property for volunteer accommodation, although it was still a very valuable facility.

Mark Boult has replaced the rotting timberwork on the front of the bungalow and with his wife Jess has planted and cared for 240 shrubs along the fenceline, which was a condition of planning permission. The Society is grateful to John Stainforth for continuing in the role of Burntwood Property Manager and to Stewart David who is the local point of contact and regularly checks the property. A smart meter has been installed.

BTS ARCHIVES

The Society's archives and in particular the extensive photo archives continue to be maintained by Dave Hall and are a useful source for authors of new works about trolleybuses.

A consignment of Bradford trolleybus archives has kindly been donated by the family of the late Stanley King. Some archive material has also been received from Brain Deans’ executor.

Because of the increase volume of archive material a larger room at Burntwood is to be used from the end of 2021.

THE FUTURE

The BTS/STCL Joint Working Group (JWG) has met several times to coordinate plans for the overall development of the Museum. It had been intended that further study visits would be held but this was not possible during the pandemic. Following presentation of the JWG Report to the BTS Committee and the Sandtoft Board a joint meeting was held on 29 August and the JWG’s recommendations were either accepted or amended.

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

A great deal of hard work will be required but the BTS and the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft stand to benefit enormously from the proposed developments.

Some of the events that were planned for our anniversary year are now scheduled to be held 12 months late.

We look forward to the continuing support of the membership in our endeavours.

BTS Trustees’ Annual Report

August 2020

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CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLANO ANO WAIES Ch2n X'_ BRrnsH TROLLEYBUS SO¢IErY Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the perfod To 0111yr2020 3110312021 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted Restrietèd funds Endovmitnt funds Total fund8 Last ygar Dear￿£ tothe n02rgst£ tothe nearest£ tothe nearest£ A1 Receipts MeM￿r$hIp Subs(Xpt￿￿s Pfjze Draw re￿pts Sales irKxMne HMRC GIttAid 8.209 2.914 3.059 11,666 8,358 2,320 5,052 6,033 1914 5.113 4553 burntA￿0d Counol Tax Refur BumbA￿0d thid Supp)rt Grant Other donons and legaies 6.102 11.218 6.102 11,218 967 531 4.500 1,061 Tr￿Ieyb￿kS". BTS share of profits REeding arEa meetingslAGM Vehide sponsorship BÈnk ac(x)unt interest Miscdlan￿s Inox)me STCL subscnpts￿￿ LdleGted QTS Sub total(GrDss income forAR) 102 57 1.615 106.394 1.615 41.471 1,639 A2 Asset and inveslmerrt sales Nonè Sub total 41.471 106.354 44,507 A3 Payments M8gaine woducion postage Pri* Draw prFzes Pnze Draw expenses Sales stock ButDts¥(MXJ tax utiIts8 & tepaL Vehide stor8ge- STCL Vehide slorage-tth¥ Vehide fe$toTab Vehide to￿￿￿9. it]5uBn￿ & othef C¥Jsts Towof 144 to Re¥iny and retum Readtw area MeEb￿g￿AGM mi￿1￿a￿e0u5 expendiw Repayrwl OfBUmi￿￿ purchase lo¥n STCL subscript1￿$ fotvRrded tD STCL I3￿57 13.567 1,380 9￿69 1,198 39 2.655 5.877 8,400 1.960 6.767 q.038 1.140 7BO 1,351 55.ODO 2,287 98.361 1.861 4,726 8,550 2,667 1,550 716 716 1.618 21475 1.615 36,630 Sub total A4 Asset and investment purchases None 14.155 Sub total 22A75 14.155 36.630 98,261 Net of receipts/(paymentsJ AS Transfers between funds A6 Cash fund5 last year end Cash funds this yearend 18,996 50,768 5.953 58.859 115WO 69,784 43,854 20,822 33,865 79,6B2 149h45 133.536 79,682 BTS Acuunts 21r20121 Print8d.. (B10912021

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Un￿striCted fund$ to ￿a￿St£ Restricted funts to ￿arpS1£ Categories DetaÈls TOTAL to nearp5t£ B1 Cash funds Lloyds TSB Wday axount Uojts TSB CuffentAccourrt paYP￿ACcoll￿t Prre Draw atttyJnt 7.798 115AXI 123 23359 l714 1714 Totsl cash funds 33.865 115.580 149,44 ORY(s)} OK Unmtricted funts OK Restricted funds to hÈarest£ TOTAL Detsils to hpJrest£ B2 Other monetsry assets F￿￿$t0 whith Detal CostlopbonaD CurTWtvalug B3 Inv•strnent assets Fund to Cunnt value K)na Details C(KStlopb"onal) B4 Assets retained for the charity's own use 7.163 14,100 2,781 TOIAL 449. FuThJtowhkh ount duÈ dup ona l)etsils B5 Liabilities TOTAL Slgned by one ortwo trustees on b8haM of all th8 trusteos Date ofa Eiiieii BTS Accounts 202W21 Page 2 Printed.. 0910912021

BRITISH TROLLEYBUS SOCIEr RECEIPTS & PAYMEpifs ACcour￿Ts- REsfRicfED FUNDS 2020121 STATEMENT OF ftEsfRicfED FUNDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 EPTS 311 3113121 RE FUNDS 1. Boumemouth 99 2. Reading 47 3. Reading 113 4. Glasgow T878 5. South Shiekls 204 6. Mexborough & Swnton 34 7. Walsall 342 8. Walsall 872 9. Cardiff 203 10. Huddersfiel($ 631 11. London 1812 12. Manchester 1344 13. Boumemouth 301 14. Aachen 22 15. Horse tower wagon 2.659.91 1,530. 451.50 815_31 1,097.63 1.080.(KJ 598.67 1,(KK).(K) 1.041.38 1.037.(K) 16.035.34 27,512.50 242.86 1.018.75 1.394.40 1.072.50 697.70 1.086.25 1.468.50 838.75 4.726.25 8.767.$0 7￿.26 1.040.1)0 6,260.10 1.402.50 17,352.82 13.805.IxJ 201.(M) 905. 1.2%.LMJ 2.355. 855 rKJ 855. 855.tKJ 855.LKJ 1,014.83 210.00 756.00 1,635.(KJ 375.00 97.(X) 4,509.74 726.81 1,457.63 7,118.67 1,320.38 42,727.84 571.61 1,646.90 1,133.95 1,887.25 14,942.75 1,096.26 6.642.60 31,t57.82 201.00 O.LM) 165.00 205. 435.00 1,8(X).00 205.00 855.(M) 351. 855.(Kl 1.020.CKI Totsl vehide-speufic ￿n￿¥ Reading 50th AnnNetsary HLF grant Prize Draw fvnd 54,934.32 62.(￿.06 1.725.01 2.2￿.¢Xl 2,916.68 12.767.(N) 1,014.83 5,953.(Xl 111,141.21 1,725.01 2,714.00 1,387.85 -1,014.83 TOTAL 58.859.33 64.W22.74 14.154.85 5,953. 115,580.22 BTS Ac¢our>ts 2020r21 Page 3 Print8d'. .0910912021

CHARITY COMMISSIO FOR ENGLAND AND WALE Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Soction A Independent Examinerfs Report Report to the trusteesl members of BRITISH TROLLEYBUS SOCIETY On accounts lor the year ended 31 March 2021 Charlty no 1033666 Set out on pages 1,2and 3 I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charty (Ihe Twsf) for the year ended 3110312021 Responsibilities and As the charity trust of the Trust. you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordan￿ with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 nhe Acf). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under secion 145(5}(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below "} in connection with the examination which gtves me cause to believe that in. any material Independent examiner's ststement accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord wtth the accounting records I have no concetrts and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to vthich attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets rfthey do not apply. Signed." Date: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (rf any): Address: IER September 2021