5? FOR ENGLAND AND WALES ~~|The Ramsgate Society~~ Receipts and payments accounts CC16a from 01/01/24 31/12/24 ~~Perer|eee [| aaa~~ Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds Total funds Last year to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ Al Receipts ~~Heritage HarbourEvents | Pe | Manston Judicial Review | po Sheers | pe | EamesDonationsTPLegacyDonation | | 8} ||[208] | subscriptions| | 85 &sundryincome Sales | |ee | | 8~~ | ~~ee | |~~ | ~~uidedwalks | HeritageOpenDays PE Design[Tall ShipsAwards—GrantincomeFeasibility Study ||| |~~ ~~| |eoitAidPs[ Pe]~~ (see table). Variation in value of Investment ~~rang” wae ofnwesiment | 2s tee a ee ee~~ Subtotal] ~~2.645| |[2,645] |~~ A3 Payments ~~Administration ——SSSS~dSCSC~‘“~sBYCSSSSCSCSCS~d‘iLNSCSCSCSC‘~‘“C”iSS ClockHouse @Mariime Museum |——esi|——=SSSCS~C~—~wSSC“‘S (‘CL[ws|[][ OC] Mansion JudialRevew Sid SSCS _ Y~~ afiaion—SOSC~wSSSCSCSCSS ~~CSS Cd de~~ tierriasSSS~—“—~—~—‘“—~~é~iYSC“‘CS#dYYSCCCCdYCOCTTTCTCSCCdiESSSSCSCS ~~CY Heritage Harbourevents ———SS«dESSSCSC~—é~dCYESCSSCSCS—SYYESTCSC~dSC( TTC TC DesignAdventborsBuePlaqueroetAwards—Coss———SS—~«dSSC~C“‘t‘“~~édCiSCSC“‘(SSCiY'[/|/]|SS ——SS«dTSCSCSC~“‘~‘iSSSC~iSSC‘“‘“‘~édCSSCNSCSC‘“‘(‘C‘rNNCSC“‘YYCN(NSNNN LSS |S | JEL"= (dd[> | Tall Ships Feasibiliy Study |~~ ~~— 0——asai[—~—~S~SCtago |[f 28a6~~ ~~0~~ | ~~Ramsgate Matters Magazine publishing | dE~~ SCESSS™~—~wYYESSCSCSC—CSSYETTCC ~~iC Musings __—_ss8||—~+||(|—S «dis CSN +” Poets a hire-oherevents[[SSCS][ PSS] venue SSC~—~‘iNSC“‘(SS«dT —S~C—~—CS |LSC (|S «dE[SSCSCS] | | [2sT Website development maintenance | |~~ ——SSdSSSCSC~—tsBYTSSCSS~“‘“‘;CYSCSC“‘CSTCSC™S(C(#$N#SNSCWC™“C#QO| ~~[SS Telecommunicatons ——-so|{——S—Ss'|——S~diCSCCCSCSC~~ &promofon———S«dSCi“‘;COOitSSSCOC“‘“CNSC“#CYCSCSCC‘“‘CSNCd*CNSCSCCCCSOO ~~[SC Advertsing | es~~ |
Bank & finance charges 1 1 Membership costs (database software) 175 175 140 Po Miscellaneous 112 elRe eee - a 112 maee e 45 Sub Sub totall__7363| total 7,464 9,199 4 maar 16,360 22,648 Aé4 A4 Asset Asset and and investment investment purchases, purchases, (see (see table table) ceRR SS |RE|RO: |RH Sub Sub total total - Ee - - co - - Total Total payments|[ payments| 7381] 7,162}| 9,199| SaaS | -|] 26,360| | 22,648| Net Net of of receipts/((payments receipts/(payments, io: fs 2,396 96 | Ca 13,929 39129 | Coe| - (a 16,326 6,326 | ors 4,628 4,628 AS Transfers between funds - : . li Seimiliahewieatca ee |a |ee |a ees A6 Cash funds last year end 35,107 6,290 . 41,397 46,025 A6 Cash funds last year end a |[48,025] Cash Cash funds funds this this yearend|_—_37,504 year en 37,504 | 20,219 as - 57,723 41,397 |
Section Section B B Statement Statement of of assets assets and and liabilities liabilities at at the the end end of of the the period period Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Endowment Endowment
funds funds funds funds funds funds ; : to to nearest nearest £ £ to to nearest nearest £ £ to to nearest nearest £ £ Bi Cash funds Bank account 20,992 20,219 = Investment account > ‘ ee 16,512
Total Total cash cash funds funds 37,504 20,219 Ce “ (agree (agree balances balances with with receipts receipts and and payments payments account(s)) account(s)} : J
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Firefox about:blank Independent examiner's report to the trUStee5 of The Ramsgate Soclety I reportto the tru5tee5 on my examlnadon of tlie accowits of the Ran15gate Society (the Trust) for the year ended 31" December 2024. Responsxblllties and basts of report As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible Eor the preparatlon of the accounts In accordance wlth the requirements of the Charities Aci 2011 ('theAct'). l Teport in respect of my examiDatlon of the Tht'S accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Aci and in carrying out my examlThatlon I have followed all the appllcable Dlrections glven by the Charity Conmiiwon under secdon 145(5)(b) of the Act. IAdependent.examlne&8tatemeEtt I have cotnpleted my exaujinatlon. I cunflrn) that no materlal matters have come to my attention in connection wlth the examination glvlng me cause to belleve that In any material respect: l. accounting records were notkept In respect of the TrJst as requiTrd by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord wlth those records. I have no.concerns and have come across no. other matters In connecdon wlth.the examinadon to. which attention should be drawn In thls report in order to enable a proper understandlng of the accounts to be reache Signed: Name; c Relevant profosslonal qualification or memborship Df prDfessional bodies (if any): Soo Address: hrtqsG*Te, T(1 9rf Date: lofl 0310712025, 22:14
Ramsgate Society Chairman’s Report AGM, 9th July 2025
I am pleased to report that the Society has been very active since our last AGM in July 2024 and I set out below a brief summary of some of our recent activities.
60th Anniversary Celebrations
2024 marked the 60th Anniversary of the founding of The Ramsgate Society in 1964 and we celebrated this event with a reception at The Albion Hotel in June this year. We were able to reflect on some of our recent achievements, some of which I have included on the Annex attached to my report. The event was fully subscribed and we were entertained by the wonderful Bertie Pearce, a member of the Magic Circle, whose magic tricks astonished and amazed everyone who was there. This was an event to remember as I suspect none of us will be around to repeat the event in another 60 years’ time.
Our thanks go to Rob Warren, one of our Trustees and Committee members who edited and produced a superb 60th Anniversary edition of Ramsgate Matters for this event, which is available free of charge to our members.
The Clock House and Pier Yard
Many members will be aware that the Society launched this project in 2016 with a feasibility study funded by a grant of £25,000 from the Coastal Community Fund and a very significant offer of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We were disappointed that TDC declined to proceed at the time. It later emerged that they preferred to negotiate a surrender of the existing lease to the Steam Museum Trust, obtain vacant possession, and to offer the property on the open market.
Things remained dormant for a further five years but then in 2021 TDC were awarded £20million for Ramsgate as part of the Levelling Up Fund (LUF) and the Clock House and Pier Yard were included in the project, based on our original proposals. Four years have since passed and in June this year TDC obtained planning permission, but for a very much reduced scheme, due to their priority to use as much of the LUF funding to improve the facilities in the Port of Ramsgate in the hope of attracting an operator in order to run a new ferry service. In June this year TDC announced that, after extensive marketing, no operator had been found for the Port and that £1.7million of the LUF monies would be reallocated back to the Clock House.
In the meantime, Rob Warren (Trustee of The Ramsgate Society and a professional museum curator) has been engaged by TDC to catalogue the museum collection, which TDC now own, and to remove it to a secure storage facility in one of their properties. This work has now been completed with the help of some of our dedicated volunteers to whom we are very grateful.
Work is due to commence on the Clock House in the Autumn of this year with completion in Autumn 2026. Discussions with TDC with regards to the future management of the Museum are ongoing and hopefully we will be able to report positively on this at our next AGM.
Ramsgate Heritage Harbour
In July 2024, Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour was awarded the status of a National Heritage Harbour, only one of fourteen locations across the United Kingdom to receive this important designation. The Ramsgate Society was asked to incorporate the newly formed Ramsgate Heritage Harbour Group (HHG) as a sub-committee of the Society and now hosts monthly meetings of the group going forward.
Heritage Harbours is a joint initiative between Historic England, the Maritime Heritage Trust, National Historic Ships and local community groups. Its aims include: protecting heritage assets at risk; attracting investment and heritage funding, supporting local business growth; increasing tourism; and improving community cohesion and inclusion. These Objectives sit very well alongside those of the Ramsgate Society and we look forward to working with the HHG to deliver some much needed improvements to the Royal Harbour, which is a huge asset to the town.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods
In Spring 2024, Thanet District Council was successful in securing up to £20m endowment style funding for investment in local priorities over a 10-year period within the Ramsgate area. Previously called The “Long-Term Plan for Towns”, the new “Plan for Neighbourhoods” seeks to empower local communities to identify and deliver projects that will tackle local challenges and inequalities.
The Plan for Neighbourhoods programme brings together community representatives, businesses, and strategic partners to prioritise funding into areas of local need to build a brighter future for all. Led by a Neighbourhood Board in partnership with Thanet District Council, the Board will develop a 10Year Regeneration Plan for Ramsgate to address deprivation and regeneration
of the area. The Ramsgate Society has been invited by TDC to sit on the new Board to represent the heritage sector in Ramsgate in deciding how the money should be allocated.
The Port of Ramsgate
Together with the Ramsgate Regeneration Alliance we have previously expressed our concerns about the ongoing losses, then amounting to some £30million, and the TDC proposals to invest further public funds in improvements to the existing unused RoRo facilities and further intensify the industrialisation of the Port without a credible business plan.
After the failure to find an operator for the Port TDC are now considering what other options are available to them for the Port and we await hearing what those options might be. We assume TDC will engage with local community groups as to what local residents would like to see done with the Port and will ensure that any options are economically viable and sustainable in the longer term.
The Society would like to see a much more collaborative approach to decision making on this issue and will be working with TDC and The Ramsgate Regeneration Alliance (RRA) to help secure some economically viable and sustainable outcomes.
Local Government Reorganisation .
Earlier this year the Government announced its intention to reorganise local government by abolishing the existing District Councils and creating new larger Unitary Authorities. In the case of East Kent this would mean the abolition of Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Folkestone District Councils and the creation of a new single East Kent Unitary Authority. The Government asked both District Councils and County Councils to submit proposals for how they think this should be implemented in their own areas by the end of March 2025 and final proposals are required by the end of November 2025. The Government will then respond in Spring 2026 and legislation will follow. “Shadow” Unitary Authorities will be created in 2027 and the new arrangements will become fully operational in 2028.
It is assumed that some form of public consultation will take place on the proposals for East Kent. Details of these consultations have not yet been announced but we will endeavour to keep our members informed as to what is being proposed as matters progress.
Events and Community Engagement.
Sea front Shelters. We continued throughout the year working in partnership with Ramsgate Town Council to maintain and clean the 14 sea front shelters that the Society renovated in 2022.
Heritage Open Days. For several years now the Society has coordinated Heritage Open Days in Thanet. This year we are working collaboratively with Thanet District Council to coordinate the event across the whole of Thanet. The event this year will take place from 12th to 21st September and a new leaflet for this will be printed and distributed widely across Thanet in August.
Litter Picks. Litter continues to be a problem, not just in Ramsgate but also in Thanet generally and the country as a whole. As an active member of the Ramsgate Litter Forum we work with Ramsgate Town Council and other local community groups to try and keep the litter off our streets. We specifically organise two of our own Litter Picks each year, one in April and another in October and details of the event this coming October will be published in our monthly newsletter and on our website.
Ramsgate Society Talks Series. Our series of regular talks organised by committee member Terry Prue continues to be very popular, with most events fully booked in advance. Details of our monthly talks are posted in our monthly newsletters and on our website www.ramsgatesociety.org.uk. Early registration via Eventbrite is recommended.
Dunkirk Little Ships Event May 2025. In May this year the Dunkirk Little Ships revisited Ramsgate to celebrate the 85th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo in 1940, which changed the course of World War 2. The event was a great success with thousands of people attending the various activities.
The Society was involved in helping to organise the event via the Heritage Harbour Group which acted as an umbrella organisation for the participants and special thanks are due to the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships and their Commodore Kevin Finn, The Royal Temple Yacht Club, Ramsgate Town Council, Ramsgate Tunnels and many other local community groups who all came together to make this happen.
Our own particular contributions were to arrange for the restoration of the Dunkirk War Memorial in Pier Yard which was originally unveiled by Dame Vera Lynn in 2000 and again by Prince Michael of Kent when he visited Ramsgate on May 20[th] this year as part of the Dunkirk Little Ships Event. We also helped fund
the Dunkirk Little Ships Film Festival which took place over three evenings at the Granville Theatre. We are looking forward to having the Little Ships back again soon.
Community Champion Awards 2024
For many years, the Ramsgate Society Community Champions Award has been given to local people who, in the opinion of the Society’s Executive Committee, have made an exceptional contribution to the quality of life in the town. For 2024, we worked on the award in a joint partnership with Ramsgate Town Council and the presentation ceremony took place on December 18th in the Council Chamber at The Custom House. Ramsgate’s Mayor, Cllr. Pat Moore, escorted by Sea Cadet Evan Bradley, presented certificates to eighteen Ramsgate residents who were nominated to be recognised for the work they do to make Ramsgate a better place to live and visit. A full list of winners by category can be found in ‘Linked Documents’ within the Archive section of our website.
Membership and Communications
Our monthly electronic newsletter continues to be the most effective way of communicating with our members and keeps members updated on our activities on a regular basis. Over the last year our membership and communications working group have worked hard to update our membership records and as a result we have seen our membership and subscription base starting to grow.
Finance.
Our finances continue to be in good shape and our most recent accounts will be presented for approval by members at this AGM. I would like to offer our special thanks to David Lister our Treasurer for the excellent work he does in keeping our accounts and finances under close and efficient control.
Finally. I would like to thank the members of the Ramsgate Society Executive Committee for all their hard work during the last twelve months. They are a very dedicated team who are all passionate about Ramsgate and it’s a pleasure for me to act as their Chairman. I would particularly like to mention Richard Oades who stood down this year after many years as a valuable and active committee member. Thank you Richard!