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





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



## **Achievements and Performance** 

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



You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 

**Additional information (optional)** 



|Achievements against<br>objectives set|Para 1.41||
|---|---|---|
|Performance of fundraising<br>activities against objectives<br>set|Para 1.41||
|Investment performance<br>against objectives|Para 1.41||
|Other|||





## **Financial Review** 

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



## **Additional information (optional)** 

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 



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





## **Structure, Governance and Management** 

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



## **Additional information (optional)** 

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: 

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



## **Reference and Administrative details** 

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





## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** 

|1<br>2<br>3<br>4<br>5<br>6<br>7<br>8<br>9<br>10<br>11<br>12<br>13<br>14<br>15<br>16<br>17<br>18<br>19<br>20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**<br>**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**<br>**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Professor Emily<br>West|Chair||Members|
||Dr Elizabeth<br>Barnes|Secretary||Members|
||Dr Alys Dyson<br>Beverton|Treasurer||Members|
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## – 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

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