Chairman’s report to 2023 AGM on 23 October 2023
The year under review (September 2022 to August 2023) is our first full “post Covid” year. With the reduced capacity following the replacement of the old seating, and the previously reported improvement of air flow through the auditorium, audience numbers were restored to full capacity. Various upgrades of equipment have been made including to the audio and video presentation equipment, a new spherical (quarter sphere) mirror has been acquired and installed and further modification of the controls for the Spitz A5 projector has been carried out. Also, before and during the summer shut, the controls for the planetarium audio-visual equipment, digital and analogue, were moved to a desk in the office and the equipment rack re-located in the office. To make room a bulky filing cabinet was moved out of the office and currently sits against the North wall of the Planetarium. The Planetarium general lighting has been updated, replacing the failing low voltage rail mounted lights with up to date mains powered strip and LED lighting. There is a noticeable improvement in the lighting available in the auditorium - which should make meeting much easier. Adding dimming for these lights remains to be done. Discussions with Stockton Council on renewing the Lease have continued and we believe we are close to completing these satisfactorily. Until formalisation of the revised Lease, we have continued under the previously noted interim agreement was made with Stockton to continue the old lease pending the signature of the new one and in practice we are operating on the basis of the agreed terms of the new lease for activities outside the Planetarium. The Trustees have kept possible future development of the Planetarium in mind, but active development on this has been deferred until the new lease is signed with Stockton Council. Of course the Trustees thanks go to the members and volunteers who directly support operation of the Planetarium and Observatory throughout the year.
J W Roberts, Chairman TASC September 2023
Teesside Astronomical Science Centre (TASC)
Teesside Astronomical Science Centre (TASC) 1156793 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from Jun-22 Jun-23
Section A Receipts and payments
| A1 Receipts | Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Restricted funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show Receipts | 5,037 | 5,037 | 1,103 | ||||||
| Special Interest | |||||||||
| Cadas room fee | |||||||||
| Member's Subs | 120 | 120 | |||||||
| Donations | 210 | 210 | |||||||
| Small Business Grant | 2,667 | ||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
5,367 |
5,367 | 3,770 |
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
Sub total
Total receipts
A3 Payments
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance for Trustees and Volunteers | 294 | 294 | 292 | ||||||
| Travel Expenses for Volunteers | 712 | 712 | 347 | ||||||
| BuildingInsurance & Utilities | 492 | 492 | 492 | ||||||
| Equipment (Projectors PC Software) | 2,985 | 2,985 | 823 | ||||||
| Misc. Building Maintenance | 965 | 965 | 500 | ||||||
| Covid compatible seats | 2,752 | 2,752 | 2,250 | ||||||
| **Sub total ** | |||||||||
| 8,200 | 8,200 | 4,704 | |||||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
|||||||||
| Sub total | |||||||||
| Total payments Net of receipts/(payments) |
|||||||||
| 8,200 | 8,200 | 4,704 | |||||||
| - 2,833 | 2,833 | - 934 |
A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end 21,591 Cash funds this year end 18,758
21,591 22,525 18,758 21,591