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← The Cromwell Association

2025-12-31-accounts

The Cromwell Association – registered charity The Cromwell Association – registered charity no. 1132954
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Report of the trustees for the year ended 31
 December 2025
1.
Introduction
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1.1
This is the seventeenth annual report of the trustees (the Council) of The Cromwell Association, which was registered as a charity on 25
November 2009 following the decision of the 2009 annual general meeting (AGM) to proceed with registration.
1.2
This report is for the calendar year		 2025, which is consistent with the charity’s financial year.
2.
Administrative details
2.1
The trustees who served during the year were:
Dr Ismini Pells President (appointed 27.4.24)
Mr John Newland Minutes Secretary (reappointed 27.4.24)
Mr Matthew Smith Treasurer (appointed 26.4.25)
Mr John Goldsmith Chair (reappointed 27.4.24)
Dr Maxine Forshaw Editor of Journal (reappointed 27.4.24)
Mr Paul Robbins Membership Secretary (reappointed 27.4.24)
Mr Richard Warren Secretary (reappointed 26.4.25)
Ordinary trustees, non-office holding:
Dr Jonathan Fitzgibbons (re-elected 27.4.24)
Dr Miranda Malins (re-elected 27.4.24)
Mrs Serrie Meakins (re-elected 27.4.24)
Dr Charlotte Parsonson-Young (re-elected 26.4.25)
Mr Geoffrey Bush (elected 27.4.24)
Mr Michael Hardy (elected 27.4.24)
Mr Waseem Ahmed (elected 27.4.24)

Officers and other trustees are elected by the charity in general meeting for three-year appointments.

2.2 For the purposes of charitable registration, the Secretary is also the charity correspondent and his home address (112 Rosemary Street, Milborne For the purposes of charitable registration, the Secretary is also the charity correspondent and his home address (112 Rosemary Street, Milborne
Port, Sherborne, Somerset, DT9 5AR) is the contact address used by the Charity Commission.
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2.3 The governing document is the constitution formally adopted by the Association at the AGM held on 25 April 2009 at Naseby Village Hall.
3 Public benefit statement
The trustees have complied with the guidance of the Charity Commission on public benefit.
4 Objectives and activities
4.1 The object of the charity is to advance the education of the public in both the life and legacy of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), politician, soldier and
statesman, and the wider history of the seventeenth century.
4.2 The trust has undertaken to carry out the following activities for the benefit of the public:

To campaign for the preservation and conservation of buildings and sites relevant to Cromwell

To commission, on behalf of the Association or in collaboration with others, plaques, panels and monuments at sites associated with Cromwell. To support and encourage the Cromwell Museum and Cromwell Collection library in Huntingdon. To provide, within the competence of the Association, advice to television, radio, press and other media on all matters relating to the period. To encourage interest in the period in all phases of formal education by the publication of reading lists, information and teachers’ guidance. To publish news and information about the period, including an annual journal and regular newsletters. To organise an annual memorial service, day schools, conferences, lectures, exhibitions and other educational events. To provide an Internet resource for researchers in the period including school students, genealogists and interested parties. To offer, from time to time, grants, awards and prizes to individuals and organisations working towards the objectives stated above.

5. Review of the Year
5.1 Council met four times during the year, two were hybrid meetings, and two meetings only by Zoom. All meetings were well attended.
5.2 The Annual General Meeting was held at The Friends Meeting House in Nottingham on 26.4.25 was attended by 30 members and four guests.
This was a slight increase on the previous year and included several local members who had never attended before. The routine business was
swiftly dealt with. The long search for a new treasurer ended with the election of Mr Mathew Smith KC to the post.
5.3 Membership numbers held up well over the year, with a small increase of just over 4% to 548 at the year end. Fewer members have taken
advantage of the digital only option than anticipated, but the number is slowly increasing. Postage costs continue their inexorable rise, and
problems with mail to countries in the European Union continue.
5.4 Direct member benefits were provided by our publications, and by the circulation of an emailed update from time to time to those who have
provided their email address, which is now the great majority. Members have received two copies of_The Protector’s Pen_, edited by John
Goldsmith supported by Mr Simon Blake as Production Editor.
5.5 The journal_Cromwelliana_, edited by Dr Maxine Forshaw, was published in July, and circulated to members in the summer mailing. Significant
content came from the Study Day held the previous October, on the trial of Charles I, along with an eclectic range of articles, reviews and the
annual bibliographies.
5.6 As a consequence of a generous gift the Association was able to engage a free-lance education specialist, Ms Carina Ancell, to support our
educational activities led by Serrie Meakins. The annual School’s Conference was kindly hosted and subsidised by Magdalen College School,
Oxford, on 3.7.25. The event was very successful and completely sold out. The debates, recorded by The World Turned Upside Down team, are
available on our website. The essay competition attracted a healthy number of entries and was won by an entry from the USA.
5.7 The Annual Service returned to Westminster for the first time in a decade. A morning visit to Westminster Abbey was well attended but sadly
numbers dwindled for the service held in the afternoon in the side chapel of Methodist Central Hall. The wreath laying on Cromwell Green was
significantly complicated by a major demonstration in Parliament Square, but it did take place.
Council reflected, at length, at the subsequent Council meeting, on the future of the service. It was decided, with some regret, that an annual
service was no longer justifiable in terms of resources expended, and the changed expectations of the majority of our members. Discussions about
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an alternative way of marking 3
September as Cromwell Day, are continuing.
5.8 The Annual Study Day was held on 18.10.25 at Wesley’s Chapel in central London. The theme was ‘Cultural Cromwell’ and looked at a range of
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subjects from Cromwell in 17
Century poetry to how Cromwell has been portrayed in film. The format of the event, which was well attended, had
slightly shorter papers than previous years, and concluded with a panel discussion, worked well.
5.9 The Post-Graduate Research Grant scheme was once again split between three applications, two from English universities and one from Scotland.
Council agreed to extend the scheme in 2026 to independent scholars
5.10 Our website, www.olivercromwell.org , is our main shop window to the world, and our primary source of new members. 2025 saw another increase
of separate visits to the site, totalling over 370,000, which is an increase of well over 50%. Council is well aware though that the site, last
redesigned almost ten years ago, is in need of a refresh. It is hoped that progress can be made on this in 2026. Our social media presence
continues to be of importance and we now have a BlueSky account, as well as maintaining a presence on X. The range of enquiries received over
the year continues to be impressively wide,
with members of Council generously giving of their time to respond, as appropriate.
5.11 The Association registered as a charity in 2009 as an unincorporated association, and other than very minor amendments our constitution has
remained unaltered. Council agreed in October that a review of our governance would be timely, and that in principle a change to the status of a
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) would be beneficial.
5.12 The trustees are grateful to all who have supported the Association over the last year, both financially and in time, speaking at our events and
contributing to our publications, without which we could not operate.

6 Financial review 2025

Income from subscriptions was broadly in line with that of 2024 although, thanks to an increase in donations, it constituted less than half of our receipts in 2025. We remain very grateful for the many members who contribute over and above their dues. Donations in 2025 were higher than usual because they included a donation to cover the cost of the Education Officer in both 2025 and 2026.

6.2 Other Income

Once again we recorded a sell out for Study Day. Despite continuing to hold down charges both to members and non-members to a modest level we recorded a surplus of over £1,000. Likewise the Schools' Conference was again successful with a surplus of over £500 thanks to the generosity of the host school.

Council tries to attain break even on our Annual General Meeting and this was almost achieved this year in the very pleasant surroundings of the Friends’ Meeting House in Nottingham.

It is only right to emphasize the Association's reliance on the professional historians who give so much of their time to the meetings and to record our thanks to them.

In 2025, we were able to sell approximately 40 copies of The Civil War in 100 Objects , which had been donated to the Association. This raised just over £600.

6.3 Costs

By far our largest annual cost is that of publishing and distributing the two editions of The Protectors' Pen and of Cromwelliana.

Council authorised two donations, each of £500. The first was a contribution to an exhibition on the Battle of Edgehill. The second donation was to the Hursley PCC to pay for a report on the Cromwell family memorial in their church.

The annual Essay Competition Prize was again financed by the generosity of Frederic L Borch III.

As in 2024, Post Graduate Research grants totalling just over £1,500 were awarded to three applicants this year.

6.4 The Association's finances The continued support of our members through timely payment of subscriptions, numerous donations, successful events together with a tight control of costs have all contributed to boosting the Association's bank balances such that it is not proposed to raise subscription rates this year. Furthermore there is ample scope for further grants and projects in pursuit of the Association's objectives.

6.5 The accounts for the year accompany this report. 7. Conclusion The Association has continued to fulfil its charitable objectives across a wide range of activities. The Trustees are open to suggestions for further development within the inevitable constraints of finance and capacity. 8. Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the report above.

Signed on behalf of the Charity’s trustees:

Signature

Full name John Goldsmith, Chair

Signature

Full name Richard Warren, Secretary

Date

NOTE TO MEMBERS: This year the Association’s income exceeded (just) the threshold of £25,000. This triggers a requirement for the annual report and accounts to be filed with the Charity Commission and independently examined. The accounts are therefore now in the Commission’s template receipts and payments format and a member of the Association has kindly agreed to undertake the independent examination. The accounts will be approved by Council once that is complete and the final version (if different) produced in hard copy at the AGM. This note will be removed from the version of the annual report filed with the Commission.

Z| CHARITYFOR ENGLAND commission]AND WALES| ———“(i‘“‘(CSSSSC~~s~s~s~s—s—s—sSSsSssSiC‘(‘( i‘; | | Receipts and payments accounts CC16a F - from Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds ; tothe nearest £ to the nearest£ to the nearest£ to the nearest£ to the nearest£ A‘ Receipts GitaAGM84(fee, raffle, wak) | ST TeesCES 2||a EEE9,7737,594)1,349}Cs | |[1,644[1,390] 2|| Sa ieee 760} | StudyDayCCOOS Pe 3,005 123 [Schools Conference Teachers insetDay{ = ss 50] |KT 550 | Se 2eb <A Te interest,C(t eeee ee 725;628; |[i[450] | ub total (Gross income for AR) 25,372 25,372 A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). A3 Payments es ee Secretarialexpenses& meeting roomhire] 925] TC TC 8 ES) Sa ;[C4] [CromwellDayT(tOOO PO C90} 85| StudyDayOS 993] 1,421| —E— | |a P2668 Merchandise| (P&P) TC Te| insuranceCY 80] 26 IGrantsmadeTY Pe Te | lEssayPrize OF T8580 EducationOffcer| COO | COO Pe Promotions &announcements | reTC LC eeC 2 ee -}{L ee342 Sundry8S = 195 | Subtotal] 9.06] fT A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table ela rs (|| ie Net ofreceipts(payments)| S826] TC2G 3,872 ASTransfersbetweenfunds [| {|TCE A6 Cash funds last yearend [| 26,660) [0000 PED PC Cash funds this year end [os Ss

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25/03/2026

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Es] CHARITY COMMISSION | Independent examiner's report on the FOR ENGLAND AND WALES accounts

Section A Independent Examiner’s Report

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Report to the trustees =fhe C ROMA Assouariey’
On accounts for theendedyear |3! Deemgca VOL Charity(ifany)no [4/3 LIS Y
| report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended .
Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
(‘the Act”).
| 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, |
have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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independent examiner's statement

| 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.

IER

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* Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
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Name: |/ EQZ/E KEMWETH A/t2t
Relevant professional nla
qualification(s) or body
1 Oct 2018
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(if any): | OO
Address:| 7S /1/G-/7 YAN
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Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern
(see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and
guidance for examiners).
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anyexaminerGive itemshere thatwishesbrief thedetailsto of NM,ft
disclose.
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IER
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2 Oct 2018
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