2025-12-31-accounts

Registered Company No: 06649783 Registered Charity No: 1126086

(A company limited by guarantee)

ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2025

Contents

Legal and administratve details	p. 2
Annual Report	p. 3
Independent Examiner’s Report	p. 12
Statement of Financial Actvites	p. 13
Balance Sheet	p. 14
Notes to the Accounts	p. 15

Legal and Administrative details

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Name: Registered address: Website:

The Thoresby Society The Leeds Library, 18 Commercial Street, Leeds, LS1 6AL www.thoresby.org.uk

Registered company No: 06649783 Registered charity No: 1126086

Patron: Dr K Grady Vice Presidents: Mrs A E Alexander Mrs S E Alexander Mrs E Bradford S Burt C Hindle Mrs G Meredith Prof P Meredith C Morgan Dr A Slomson Mrs R Stephens Ms D Taylor Dr D Thornton The Rev. Dr R Yates

Members of Council:

Mrs S E Alexander Ms S J Alexander Mrs E Bradford S Burt Prof J Chartres (Resigned 1 May 2025) D Friar (Appointed 15 April 2025 ) P Gillett Librarian Dr K Grady C Hindle President and Editor Dr P Howarth Secretary B Johnson (Appointed 1 January 2026 ) J Jones-Tinsley (Appointed 15 April 2025 ) J Luxton Mrs G Meredith (Resigned 15 April 2025 ) Prof. P Meredith (Resigned 15 April 2025 ) Mrs M Pullan A Ramm Programme Secretary Dr A Slomson Dr M Staniforth Treasurer Mrs D Taylor J Townsend Ms B Wakefield The Rev. Dr R Yates (Resigned 22 December 2025) Bankers: Lloyds, 65-68 Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LH Investment advisers: Brown Shipley, 6 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP Accountants: Wyatt & Co, 125 Main Street, Garforth, Leeds, LS25 1AF

The President, Officers and Council of the Thoresby Society

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have pleasure in presenting the ANNUAL REPORT AND STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 2025 to the 137[th] Annual General Meeting.

Objectives

The objects of the Society, as set out in the Memorandum of Association, are:

To be the premier history society of Leeds and its neighbourhood and accordingly to cultivate an interest in the history of Leeds and its neighbourhood through the collection and preservation of books, documents and other matter that may assist this purpose.

To promote the dissemination of knowledge by all appropriate means of the history of Leeds and its neighbourhood and to promote a wide public interest therein; To oversee the publication of documents, monographs and papers relating to the history of Leeds and its neighbourhood.

The Society takes its name from Ralph Thoresby (1658-1725), the first historian of Leeds and a pioneer in the field of local history.

The Council of the Society seeks to implement the objectives set out above with due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, balancing services to members against its charitable obligation to promote knowledge of the history of Leeds among the wider public.

Structure, Governance and Management

The Society was founded in 1889. It was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee on 17 July 2008 and operates under the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Thoresby Society as approved on 22 September 2008. The Society continues to have charitable status, and to be registered with the Charity Commission.

The Council of the Society carries out the functions of both the trustees of the charity and the directors of the company. Members of the Council are elected by the Annual General Meeting in accordance with Articles 24-26. The Council comprises those officers specified in Article 25 and up to twelve other members, with the power of co-option if required. All the Society’s officers hold honorary appointments, and the Society has no paid employees, all its activities being carried out by an invaluable band of volunteers.

The Society’s library and archive, and its registered office, are in accommodation owned by the Leeds Library in the Leeds city centre. 136[th] ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on Thursday 17[th] April 2025 at 6.00pm in the Leeds Library

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Minutes

The meeting was opened by the President, Chris Hindle. There were 31 in attendance, with apologies in advance from 6 members. Extra copies of the annual report for 2024 and the agenda were made available for those who had not received these by email. We were very pleased to be the first users of the Event Space in the Library’s newly completed premises at no. 15 Commercial Street. Problems with the wi-fi connection made participation via Zoom impracticable

1. The President started by giving a summary of the Annual Report. This included the minutes from the AGM held in April 2024, which were approved by the meeting.

2. Development Plan. Dr Kevin Grady explained that the plan has now been finalised. The main objectives are to improve the effectiveness of the Society’s activities and increase sociability. These involve improving the archive space, including new furniture in the basement; applying for accreditation with West Yorkshire Archive Service to enable the Society to apply for funding; the creation of a new website, currently in progress; the purchase of new equipment for the Society’s lecture programme; the re-instating of sub-committees, which can now meet in person.

3. Treasurer’s report. Dr Martin Staniforth reported that the Society ran at a deficit in the last financial year. This is due to some major capital spending for investment: the new website, furniture for storing archival material in the basement and projection equipment. Finances should return to a balance this current year. The accounts have been independently approved. The accounts were approved by the meeting.

4. Election of Vice-Presidents, Honorary Officers and Members of the Council.

Election of Vice-Presidents: Dr Alan Slomson, Dr Roy Yates, Diane Taylor and Sue Alexander had been nominated

Election of Honorary Officers and Members of the Council. Those nominated for re-election this year:

Officers (elected annually for one year)

Peter Howarth (Secretary) Martin Staniforth (Treasurer)

Council members (elected for three years)

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Sue Alexander, Stephanie Alexander, John Luxton, Margaret Pullan and John Townsend

Those nominated as new Members of Council:

Barbara Wakefield, James Jones-Tinsley and Danny Friar

All these nominations were approved.

1. The meeting was followed by a talk given by the President, Chris Hindle entitled ‘The Fire King: Superintendent Henry Baker – fighting fires at Leeds in the final third of the nineteenth century’. After questions, the President was thanked for his interesting and informative talk.

The meeting finished at 7.00 pm.

Activities, achievements and Performance

From the President

The twelve month period for the year ending 31 December 2025 has been very busy, as the Society continues to make good progress in meeting the targets outlined in its three-year development plan, which was introduced a year ago.

The new website was launched in early November after much work by Kevin Grady and myself in particular, working closely with designer Nina Best of Dream Machine Digital, who will supply ongoing IT support and website maintenance. The website provides an updated, attractive and modern looking platform for members and to the outside world. New members can now join through the website and, although still early days, we have had a noticeable increases in people joining, general enquiries and publication sales. Thanks go to Sue Alexander for many years of dedicated hard work building the original website - its content has been transferred across to the new site. The Society is very grateful to those members who answered the appeal to help with funding to pay for the website. Such was the generosity of the membership that the Society was able to obtain matched funding from the Arnold Burton Charitable Trust, so that the whole project was paid for without recourse to the Society’s capital.

On 12 November the Society received official recognition and accreditation for the high standard of its archive facilities from the West Yorkshire Archive Service, when we were presented with the official certification. This is the culmination of much hard work, led by Steven Burt and the Librarians in particular. It is hoped that this achievement will provide the foundation to launch an appeal for funding to the Heritage Lottery Fund and other charities, to enable expansion and further improvement of our archives.

October 2025 was the 300[th] anniversary of the death of Ralph Thoresby, which we commemorated with a number of events. We held a lunch at Sous le Nez restaurant in Quebec

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Street on 6 September, which was well attended and enjoyable. It was followed by a short lecture by Steven Burt on Ralph Thoresby’s Museum. I am most grateful to Roy Yates for organising this event. Towards the end of the year a commemorative evensong was held at Leeds Minster, in the presence of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Dan Cohen. Our Annual Publication this year was dedicated to Ralph Thoresby – see below.

During the year the Society has appointed several new Council members who are now actively engaged in valuable work. We are delighted to welcome retired GP, Dr Emma Storr as the new Excursions Secretary who will co-ordinate and lead the trips for 2026. Excursions during 2025 were made to Ilkley, the Horsforth Museum, Harewood House and gardens, and Lawnswood Cemetery. Unfortunately, the latter had to be abandoned due to a heavy rainstorm but has been re-arranged for later this year. Danny Friar has worked hard throughout the year in building up the Society’s social media presence, and also led our team of volunteers in producing a number of Leeds history questions for use by Leeds Bid in its ‘Trivial Pursuit’ project. This follows on, and will be in a similar vein, to the successful ‘Monopoly’ project which was seen in the city centre shopping centres last summer.

On 30 August, former president Eve Bradford and I welcomed Simon Corson to the Library. Simon is a direct descendant of the noted Victorian architect George Corson. We were able to point out some of the buildings in Leeds designed by George Corson and introduce him to some of the Corson-related material in our own collections.

We continued our association with the Leeds Local History Societies Group and have attended the regular quarterly meetings, which has given us a useful insight into the work of those organisations across the City.

In November we launched a display at the Abbey House Museum which will run until March. This includes some items of ephemera donated to the Society over the years and which are now housed at the Leeds Discovery Centre. The display follows on, and includes some material from, a display earlier in the year in the foyer of the Leeds Library organised by the Society’s assistant librarian, Benjamin Johnson, which focused on Ralph Thoresby and his house on Kirkgate.

Chris Hindle

Publications

The Society has published volume 35 in its Second Series, which was launched on 30 October at a successful and well attended event in the Leeds Library, accompanied by a light buffet lunch. To mark the 300[th] anniversary of Thoresby’s passing it is entitled Ralph Thoresby and his Legacy: Leeds First Historian, and has attracted much interest. I am grateful to Peter Meredith, whose idea the volume was, for co-editing the work, and also for the help of Robert Demaine and John Townsend who kindly read through the articles and made helpful suggestions.

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Contributors to the published articles are Kevin Grady, Steven Burt, Peter Meredith, Chris Hindle, Antony Ramm, Philip Wilde, Roy Yates and Margaret Pullan. The volume included articles on Thoresby’s house, the Leeds Moot Hall, the work of Thomas Wilson, the work of William Boyne, Thoresby’s rapeseed oil manufacturing business, the Leeds White Cloth Hall, Thoresby’s work with the Wharton Bible Charity, the methodology used by Thoresby in writing his diary, and work on the Public Subscription for the Leeds Parish Church organ 1713-14.

Last year’s volume continues in the larger format introduced in 2024. It was also decided to use endnotes for each article, rather than footnotes in the hope that the work would be more user friendly. The Society acknowledges with much thanks two generous grants towards the costs of publishing this volume from the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society and the Marc Fitch Fund.

In 2026 it is intended to publish a miscellany volume, but in future such miscellanies will be renamed the Leeds Historian and, in the hope that it will appeal to a wider audience, the publication will, we intend, contain more illustrations and more articles which in some cases will be of a shorter nature.

Lectures

The lecture programme for 2025 and 2026 began in a year of significant commemoration and ended, too, in a year of significant commemoration: the 300[th] anniversary in 2025 of Ralph Thoresby’s death in 1725 and the 400[th] anniversary in 2026 of the granting of the first Charter of Leeds in 1626. Lectures in both years were organised to mark these important anniversaries: in November 2025, four lunchtime lectures exploring aspects of Ralph Thoresby’s life and legacy and, in March 2026, a talk from John Cruickshank focusing on the relationship between the Charter and the influential merchant elite of 17[th] century Leeds.

The programme began, however, in September 2025 with a fascinating talk by Professor Bridget Bennett on the important role played by libraries and archives in the 19[th] century antislavery movement, most particularly in Leeds. Our October lecture remained in the 1800s with a talk by Professor Rebecca Jarman looking at the photography of Yorkshireman Godfrey Bingley, whose archive is held by the University of Leeds. That talk was in some respects a sequel to our patron Kevin Grady’s lecture at the 2023 AGM, which also focused on Bingley’s life and photography.

November saw a leap into the 20[th] century, with Matt Cole exploring the rich life of Leeds-born Liberal politician Richard Wainwright. The same month also saw our regular lunchtime lecture series, with four Society Council members delivering talks relating to Ralph Thoresby and based in several cases on articles in the most recent Publication of the Thoresby Society (Volume 35). Danny Friar spoke on Ralph Thoresby and John Lewis, the first recorded Black person in Leeds; P*eter Meredith on the earliest examples of Thoresby’s diary and the manuscript that contains them; Chris Hindle, the Society’s President, on Thoresby’s business

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affairs; and Antony Ramm, on the legacy of Thoresby in the historiographical tradition of Leeds, a lecture which took place at the Central Library and offered attendees a rare opportunity to examine William Boyne’s magnificent, seven-volume grangerised History of Leeds.

December saw a return to regular programming with Peter Howarth’s examination of the unique relationship between Leeds and Mongolia, touching on three aspects of the 50-year connection between a northern-English industrial city and one of the largest and leastpopulated countries in the world. As is traditional, the January slot was handed over for the Members’ Evening lecture, with David Cundall revisiting his research into Leeds’ response to children at risk of tuberculosis between 1898 and 1960.

For February’s talk we will welcome John Blewitt, editor of the Journal of William Morris Studies and author of William Morris and the Instinct for Freedom, for a keenly anticipated lecture looking at William Morris’s activities in Leeds and Bradford. The March talk will be the lecture by John Cruickshank on the 1626 Charter and the merchants of Leeds. For our final lecture of the series, we will welcome Eve Haskins for an exploration of the effect of the First World War on the home front in Leeds. That talk will be combined with the Annual General Meeting.

Audience figures remained healthy across 2025 and 2026, with an even split between those attending in-person at The Leeds Library, and those attending remotely over Zoom. Most lectures are recorded and can be seen on the Society’s YouTube page, with talks in the current programme attracting between 50 and 100 views since publication: www.youtube.com/@thethoresbysociety

As ever, thanks go to all Council members who have contributed to the organisation or hosting of our lecture series, and in particular to Alan Slomson, Sue Townsend, Chris Hindle and Kevin Grady, whose essential support with set-up and chairing each event, including oversight of the ticketing system, has been invaluable.

Thanks also go to our generous hosts at The Leeds Library, along with all the speakers who have presented talks as part of the current programme. Preparations for the 2026–2027 programme will commence shortly, and the Programme Secretary would welcome any suggestions—please feel free to contact him at [e-mail].

Library

2025 was a momentous year for the Society, and the major innovations and successes have had their effect on the Library. We have seen great changes and improvements in our ways of working, occasioned by the pressure to conform to the Community Archive Accreditation Scheme, by the new website, and by the advent of new members and helpers.

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Impelled by the enthusiasm of Steven Burt the whole team drew together to set up improved processes of donations handling, accessioning, storage, and volunteer team management. Our hard work resulted in the achievement of accredited status, and a most friendly visit from the West Yorkshire Archives team to enjoy our library and archive and to present the certificate. Now we must build on that good beginning, practising our refinements and refining our practices.

Though little time has been available in all this for the important listing and indexing of older and new acquisitions, a good start has been made on our considerable and fascinating holdings in theatre and music programmes and playbills, with Kate Saul added to the group. We are continuing to consider how we can improve the storage and management of our holdings in the expectation that our accredited status may well give us a good chance of obtaining grants for reorganisation.

Meanwhile the flow of donations has not reduced. Kevin Grady, Steven Burt and through Steven, Peter Brears continue their generosity in passing on items historical and illustrative. The Farnley Historical Society's archive, acquired by Steven back in 2023, is getting attention from Benjamin, and will be added to the website listing when we are trained and capable. A visit from one of George Holbrook Jackson's great-nieces brought us two of his scrapbooks. Out of the blue we were offered and accepted twenty-five estate maps and plans from the Oulton Estate by Anne Range in Canada. We have bought and been given books about Leeds by their authors and copies of unpublished monographs and autobiographies such as a handwritten piece about Meanwood Church by A. Stead, and "Nellie Dawson My Story" edited by Sarah Asquith. Most recently, an intriguing map of North Leeds between Otley Road and Roundhay Road, based on the OS 6" map but overprinted and marked up in German with watercourses and water works, textile and leather works and dated 15.1.1942 came to us from Bill Mathie and the Shadwell Historical Society. Curious indeed. We are pursuing details of its provenance.

We have had significant visits from researchers. Through Anna Goodridge we were put in touch with Michelle Behr. a PhD student from Cambridge studying the uses to which country houses have been put after losing their residential owners. We were able to give her the story and sales particulars for Roundhay Park mansion, and she even managed to visit the house on her trip. Rebecca Jarman came in to look at the Society's records concerning Godfrey Bingley, and we were able to provide information which she added to her lecture to us. We are always happy to welcome Robert Demaine who has visited us from York several times pursuing references for his article on the musical festival which marked the tercentenary of the Leeds Charter in 1926 and which will grace our Leeds Historian publication this year. Jens Reuffer contacted us again from Germany following his visit in 2024 and we were able to send him photos of some of the Bilson/Lumb/Bingley correspondence about our 1907 publication on Kirkstall Abbey (PThS First Series XVI).

There were several opportunities to get our holdings into the public eye last year. Those of you

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who were able to get to the Library for our Heritage Open Day exhibition (16th to 19th September) will have seen some of our resources relating to buildings, the overall theme of the festival, including documents and photographs from William Airey & Son about the Airey Home prefabs recently in controversy in Oulton. We have recently purchased "Eviction, a social history of rent" by Jessica Field for the Library. Benjamin set up a beautiful exhibition in the foyer which stood for the whole of September about Ralph Thoresby's house and museum on Kirkgate. Benjamin and Danny with Chris's help have chosen exhibits and set up an exhibition in a glass cabinet in the Abbey House Museum to run from 17th November 2025 to April 24th 2026. Here we display not only some of our archival material, but also some of our realia on permanent loan to the Discovery Centre.

The Library Team is growing. New and longer established members are coming in on Wednesdays, and other days, to research, to help with the listing and processing, and in some cases to become Council members. Our regular gatherings can include Patrick, Benjamain, Alan, Barbara, Roy, Eveleigh, Chris, Peter and Danny, Steven appears as often as he can, bearing gifts and enthusiasm. To these more recently have been added Emma Storr, Judith Harris and Clarck Drieshen. We enliven the room on Wednesday mornings, but there will always be room for more. Whether you are a new or a long-standing member, whether to help, to research, to read or for the craic, do come and join us.

Financial review

The Society aims to meet all its regular expenses from its income, which is derived primarily from subscriptions, donations and dividends. The Society’s income in 2025 was over £43,000, significantly higher than in 2024. This reflects both a significant increase in member subscriptions following the increase in subscription rates, despite a fall in membership to some 271 members, and generous donations of over £14,000 to the website appeal from members and the Arnold Burton Charitable Trust. We also benefitted from £2,500 in grants and donations towards the cost of the annual publication. Expenditure increased to over £38,000, driven primarily by the Leeds Library’s decision to return to payment in advance for the licence fee which led to increased expenditure. Overall the Society had an operating surplus of some £4,700 and our cash position improved by some £3,750.

The value of the Society’s investments continued to increase to nearly £370,000 at the end of 2025. Some 80% of the investments are in equities, 12% in bonds and the remainder in other investment classes. The investments have been held in a nominee account administered by Brown Shipley on behalf of the Society for many years. However following a review of our investment strategy Council has decided to transfer our investments to a Charities Only Investment Fund (COIF) managed by CCLA. The COIF account has been opened with a small investment of £1,000 and the current investments will be transferred to the new account over the course of 2026.

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Investment Policy

There are no restrictions in the Society’s Memorandum and Articles of Association on the Society’s power to invest. Its investment policy has three objectives. These are to hold sufficient unrestricted reserves to support the charity through difficult financial periods; to at least maintain the real value of these investments over time after adjusting for inflation; and to generate annual income to help to fund the cost of the Society's charitable activities.

Reserves Policy

The Society holds significant unrestricted reserves in investments and the Leeds Building Society. As set out above, the Council’s aim is to sustain and increase the capital value of its investments whilst using the annual dividend income to help finance its activities. The Society’s income and expenditure do, however, vary from year to year and Council considers it prudent to hold modest liquid reserves with Lloyds Bank to meet such fluctuations.

Risk Management

The Council and the finance sub-committee monitor the Society’s financial position regularly and approve major items of expenditure. The investments are monitored on a regular and annual basis by the Treasurer and the finance sub-committee. In addition they have benefitted from the advice of a member of the Society who is a financial services professional. This advice is offered in a personal capacity.

Approved by the Members of Council on 12 February 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Chris Hindle

President

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Independent examiner’s report for the year ending 31 December 2025

I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of the Thoresby Society ('the charity') for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the trustees of the charity you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity's financial statements 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 confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which is one of the listed bodies.

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or

3. the financial statements do 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.

Nigel Wyatt BSC FCA Date: Independent Examiner 125 Main Street Garforth Leeds LS25 1AF

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Statement of Financial Activities for the year ending 31 December 2025

	Note
		Total Funds (all Unrestricted)
		2025	2024
		£	£
Income
Donatons, grants and legacies		30,546	16,632
Other trading actvites		755	508
Investments		9,307	8,039
Other		2,406	4,414
Total income		43,014	29,593
Expenditure
Investment management		360	360
Charitable actvites		37,986	32,751
Total expenditure		38,346	33,111
Net income/(expenditure) before		4,668	(3,518)
investment gains or losses
Net gains/(losses) on investments		34,849	22,284
Net change in other liabilites	4	1,500	5,500
Net movement in funds		41,017	24,266
Reconciliaton of funds
Total funds brought forward		378,056	353,790
Total funds carried forward		419,073	378,056

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Balance Sheet 31 December 2025

Balance Sheet 31 December 2025
			Total Funds
		2025		2024
	Note	£		£
Fixed Assets
Intangible	6	7,425		6,675
Tangible	7	2,576		3,435
Investments	8	368,518		332,669
Total fxed assets		378,519		342,779
Current Assets
Cash at bank and in hand		40,554		36,777
Creditors due within one year		0		(1,500)
Net current assets		40,554		35,277
Total assets less current liabilites		419,073		378,056
Funds of the charity
Unrestricted funds		419,073		378,056
Total funds		419,073		378,056

For the year ending 31 December 2025 the charity was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. The members have not required the charity to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

Directors’ responsibilities

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of the accounts.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies' regime.

These accounts were approved by the directors on 12 February 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Martin Staniforth Treasurer

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Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2025

1. Accounting Policies

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

a. Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in January 2019 and with the Charities Act 2011. The trustees have taken advantage of the exemption permitted by the SORP not to include a cash flow statement in the financial statements.

The Thoresby Society meets the definition of a public entity under FRS 102.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities and investment properties measured at fair value through income or expenditure.

b. Fund accounting

Generally the Society's funds are unrestricted, available for use in accordance with any of the charitable objectives of the Society, at the discretion of the Trustees. For this reason, unrestricted funds are not tabulated separately from total funds in the statement of financial activities or elsewhere in these accounts.

c. Income

The Society's income normally takes the form of donations, subscriptions by way of gift, tax refunds, the sale of publications, and interest from bank and equity investments. The aim is to include these income streams in the statement of financial activities when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, it is probable that the resources will be received, and the amount can be reliably measured. In practice, the nature of the income is such that entitlement and receipt usually arise and are resolved within the same accounting period.

All income is gross except for subscription and sales income which are both recorded net of any refunds and income from donations which is recorded net of the costs of appealing for donations.

d. Expenditure

The Society's expenditure is largely accounted for by establishment costs (housing the collections), printing and distributing the annual publication, arranging lectures and excursions, maintaining and developing the library, producing the annual report and fees

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associated with hosting and maintaining the website. In accounting for this spending, support costs are assigned wherever possible to the principal activities with which they are associated. In principle, reporting is on an accruals basis, although actual expenditure is only rarely deferred beyond the accounting period in which the liability arises.

All expenditure is gross except for excursion and event spending which is recorded net of members' contributions to their cost.

e. Tangible and intangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets costing £1,000 or more individually or as a group are initially recognised at their transaction value and depreciated from the date they come into use over their estimated useful life.

Furniture - straight line over 5 years.

Intangible fixed assets are initially recognised at their transaction value and amortise from the date they come into use over their estimated useful life.

Website - straight line over 4 years.

f. Fixed asset investments

The Society's investments are included in the balance sheet at fair (market) value. The gains or losses resulting from their annual revaluation are included in the statement of financial activities.

g. Heritage assets

The Society holds a substantial collection of tangible heritage assets related to the history of the Leeds area. This includes over 5,000 books and pamphlets, as well as large numbers of maps and plans, images and manuscripts, including deeds, indentures, diaries, memorabilia, sales particulars, and commercial records, many of which are original documents. The collection is of considerable worth, but is so extensive that its value cannot reasonably be estimated at a cost commensurate with the benefit to the users of the accounts or to the Society. Hence these assets are not included on the balance sheet.

h. Creditors

Creditors are recognised where the Society has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party, and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors are normally recognised at their settlement amount.

i. Going Concern

The trustees are satisfied that there are no material uncertainties about the Society’s ability to continue as a going concern and the financial statements have been prepared

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on this basis.

2 Analysis of income

		Total funds
	2025		2024
	£		£
Donatons, legacies & grants
Donatons legacies & grants	16,731		5,750
Subscriptons	13,815		10,882
Total	**30,546 **		16,632
Other trading actvites
Sale of publicatons	735		508
Website access	20		0
Total	**755 **		508
Investment income
Building Society interest	314		388
Income from quoted investments	8,993		7,651
Total	**9,307 **		8,039
Other income
Gif Aid	2,406		4,274
Other (excursions)	0		140
Total	**2,406 **		4,414
Total income	**43,014 **		29,593

3 Staff costs & related party transactions

The Society has no paid employees. Certain administrative expenses such as postage, stationery and other expenses necessary to the running of the company are incurred by officers and directors on behalf of the company, and these are reimbursed at cost. No related party transactions took place during the year.

4 Creditors due within one year

2025 2024 £ £

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	Future cost of servicing life members	0	1,500
5	Analysis of expenditure
		Total funds
		2025	2024
		£	£
	Charitable actvites
	Annual report & distributon	752	1,373
	Publicatons & distributon	6,274	11,077
	Lectures	713	1,436
	Library	1,207	2,260
	Subscriptons to other societes	125	125
	Accommodaton licence fee	23,925	15,474
	Excursions and events	42	0
	Website management	806	0
	Depreciaton	859	859
	Amortsaton	2,475	0
	Other administratve costs	808	147
	Total	**37,986 **	32,751

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6 Intangible fixed assets

		Website	Total
	Cost	£	£
	At 1 January 2025	6,675	6,675
	Additons	3,225	3,225
	At 31 December 2025	9,900	9,900
	Amortsaton
	At 1 January 2025	0	0
	Charge for the year	2,475	2,475
	At 31 December 2025	2,475	2,475
	Net book value
	At 31 December 2025	7,425	7,425
	At 31 December 2024	6,675	6,675
7	Tangible fxed assets
		Furniture and	Total
		equipment
	Cost	£	£
	At 1 January 2025	3,435	3,435
	Additons	0	0
	At 31 December 2025	3,435	3,435
	Depreciaton
	At I January 2025	859	859
	Charge for the year	859	859
	At 31 December 2025	1,718	1,718
	Net book value
	At 31 December 2025	2,576	2,576
	At 31 December 2024	3,435	3,435
		19

8 Investment fixed assets

Investment value at 31 December 2025

Brown Shipley £367,519 COIF £ 999 Total £368,518

The Society is grateful to its Patrons who support the work of the Society in the way described in the Annual Report.

Patrons Silver Patrons Gold Patrons Mrs A E Alexander Mr M and Mrs E Bradford Dr A Slomson Mrs E A Clark Prof S Burt Mr M and Mrs P Pullan Prof J A Chartres Mr A L Silson Dr K Grady Dr M Staniforth Professor P and Mrs G Meredith Mrs E Minkin and two anonymous patrons

20