2023-12-31-accounts - Branch

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01 January 2023 Period start date To 31 December 2023 Period end date

Charity name: BrANCH

Charity registration number: 1089066

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	To further the scholarly study of the history of the United States of America between 1789 and 1917; to advance higher education in the subject; to organise seminars, colloquia, and conferences; to publish scholarly materials and writings; to encourage and assist the education, employment and academic research of postgraduate students and junior academic staff (up to ECR)
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	BrANCH organises an annual conference and has editorial responsibility for, but no legal ownership of, the academic journal American Nineteenth Century History (published by Taylor & Francis). We also offer small grants to UK-based postgraduate students to help fund research and offer an annual prize for the best dissertation written by a UK- based undergraduate or Masters student in the field of nineteenth- century US history. Finally, in collaboration with the Royal Historical Society, BrANCH offers an annual prize to the best dissertation written by a UK- based BAME undergraduate student on any topic relating to nineteenth-century US history
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	All of the trustees have had regard to the guidance on public benefit issued by the Charity Commission, and this guidance has been considered in undertaking all BrANCH activity this year, particularly the making of grants to help fund the research of UK-based postgraduates, and the award of dissertation prizes to undergraduate and masters students.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:	Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	BrANCH maintains the Peter Parish Memorial Fund, and has two rounds of competition per annum, with a maximum grant of £1,000 to UK-based individuals, to facilitate the carrying out of primary (archival) research, usually in the United States. A sub-committee of the BrANCH committee look at these applications
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38
Other

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	1. Organised annual conference (which included bursaries to subsidise delegate fees for postgraduate and early career attendees) 2. Editorial responsibility for academic journal 3. Made grants to UK-based postgraduates to fund research 4. Awarded annual dissertation prizes (Parish Prize and Tubman Prize) 5. Created a digital archive holding materials relating to the history of BrANCH, designed to promote understanding of and research on the organisation Further detail on the expenditure associated with 1, 3, and 4 can be found in the Accounts document

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Additional information (optional)

Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	The charity is entirely dependent on membership subscriptions and donations. The latter is particularly important for funding the Peter Parish Memorial Fund, from which we make our annual grants to fund research by UK- based postgraduates and ECRs. BrANCH does not aim to make a surplus on its annual conference. However, when this occurs it transfers this surplus into the Peter Parish Memorial Fund so that it goes directly into underwriting its charitable activities. In 2023 BrANCH saw its membership numbers grow as well as an increase in donations to the Parish Memorial Fund. This coupled with a surplus on the conference means that all three of it’s bank accounts had a healthy balance. This allowed the committee to 1. Confirm an increase in the maximum amount award in the Parish Travel Awards from £750 to £1,000 2. The transfer of £10,000 from the Main/Conference accounts into the Parish Fund to underwrite this increased grant amount for the next few years (details of this post-account event can be found in the auditor’s report)
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	The charity trustees follow the advice of our auditor to maintain a balance of approximately £16,000– 18,000 in our accounts to cover fluctuations in receipts and payments, and the risk of reduced receipts at future conferences (which are our main item of expenditure). This represents an increase in the amount the charity has held in reserve in the past (approx. £10,000) caused by inflation in recent years
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	27,597
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	N/A
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	N/A
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	N/A

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	BrANCH is principally funded by its membership subscriptions. Additional sources of funding come from individual donations to the Parish Fund. Although BrANCH does not run its conference to make a profit, and surplus which does appear from the event is diverted back into the Parish Fund or is used to subsidise the attendance of delegates at future conferences
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	Association
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Elected by members

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Association of British American Nineteenth Century Historians
Other name the charity uses	BrANCH
Registered charity number	1089066
Charity’s principal address	Alys Beverton Flat 2 Forest Croft Taymount Rise, Forest Hill London SE23 3UN

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany)
Professor Emily West	Chair	Members
Dr Elizabeth Barnes	Secretary	Members
Dr Alys Dyson Beverton	Treasurer	Members

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity

Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects

Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

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

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

N/A

Other optional information

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees Signature(s) Full name(s) Alys Dyson Beverton ~~ee~~ Position (eg Secretary, Treasurer, trustees Chair, etc) ~~ee~~ Date 27/10/24 ~~pO~~

BrANCH Accounts Chari No" 1089066 Accounts for the ear endln 31 Decem er 2023

BrANCH Accounts Revenue Account for the ear endin 31 December 2023 2023 2022 Income Subscriptions UK (Full) UK (Student) Overseas (Full) 2800.00 175.00 2395.00 190.00 2.975.00 2,585.00 Conference SurplusllDeficit) Journal Subscriptions I nterest Donations Sundry Total receipts 3,733.16 1,195.00 159.62 4,890.00 100.00 13 052.78 13,052.78 {729.80) 1,350.00 41.57 3.370.16 500.00 7 116.93 7,116.93 Expendlture Fees Committee expenses Members, Journal Subscriptions Bank charges Archive Project expenses Sundry expenses Totsl payments (196.75) (24.27) {1,130.00) (150.22) (4,390.00) (100.00) {5,966.97 (1,285.00) (168.61) (260.00) (1,737.88) (1,737.88) (5,966.97) Surplusl{Deficit) for the year 7 085.81 5 379.05 Treasurer: Alys Beverton Independent Examlner: Kevan Rowe B.A., F.C.A.

BrANCH Accounts Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023 2023 2022 Assets Bank accounts Branch account (Peter Parish Fund) Debtors 31,488.62 7,731.91 26,510.96 7,894.26 39,220.53 (1,623.38) 34,405.22 1682.16) Credito 37597.17 33 723.06 Fund Opening balance at 1 January 2023 {Branch) Opening balance at 1 January 2023tPeter Parish Fund) Add Surplusl(Deficitl for the year (Branch) Add Surplusl{Deficit} for the year (Peter Parish Fund) U88 of fund$ Postgraduate bursaries (Branch) Postgraduate SearCh grants (Peter Parish Fund) Grant to Peter Parish fund Dissertation prize Harriet Tubman prize 25,828.80 7.894.26 7.085.81 2.887.65 23.679.45 5,983.36 5,379,05 3,919.13 {3,050.00) (2,149.35) {400.CQ) (500.00) (2,008.23) {2,329.70) (400.00} {500.00) Closin9 balance 37 597.17 33 723.06

BrANCH Accounts Note to the accounts l. Conference Account 2023 Income Conference fees & accommodation Postgraduate Bursaries Other conference income 31037.34 2,275.00 7.853.92 41.166.26 Expenses Conference Account refund Expenses Conference Speakers expenses Bank charges Other expenses 0.00 (37,218.13) 0.00 (6.00) 209.00 (37,433.13) Surplusl(Deficit) 3 733.13 2. Peter Parlsh Fund Opening Balan at 01J8nuary 2018 7,894.26 5,983.36 Income Interest Donations.. Public Branch 138.30 600.00 2,149.35 21.66 1,567.77 2.329.70 2.887.65 3,919.13 Grants 88nk fees (3.050.00) (2,000.00) 8.23 (3,050.00) (2,008.23) 7 731.91 7 894.26 3. Post Balance Sheet Event The trustees of the BrANCH charity at a meeting on 4th October 2024 decided to donate to The Peter Parish fund £10,000.00. This is to enable The Peter Parish fund to increase the value of its awards to tske account of increases in accommodation and travel expenses.

Independent Examinerfs Statement In connection with my examination, no matters has come to my attention: {1) which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material spect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act 2011 and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act 2011 have not been met or (2) to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached Independent Examlner: Kevan Rowe 8.A., F.C.A. 25 Wanstead Close Ringwood Hampshire BH24 1 SJ 31 October 2024

BrANCH Accounts Chari No" 1089066 Accounts for the ear endln 31 Decem er 2023