Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 01/04/2023 To 31/03/2024
Charity name: Social History Curators Group
Charity registration number: 1157994
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To advance the education of the public in heritage, science and the arts advancing standards of social history curatorship by encouraging better care, management, research and development of collections and delivery of improved use, access and interpretation of museum and related collections through public facing outputs such as events, exhibitions, participative projects for the benefit of the public |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 and 1.19 |
SHCG Committee meetings were held regularly across the year, with one in person meeting held at the Durham Oriental Museum. SHCG Chair advocated for a review of the proposed funding cuts facing museums in Wales and was a co-signatory of a petition presented to the Senedd. SHCG is represented on the Subject Specialist Networks Consortium by the Chair, although no meetings were held this year. The network remains active via email, and an introductory event for interested parties was held online by Museum Development West Midlands on 7th September 2023, which the SHCG Chair presented at. This continues to strengthen relationships and build support between SSNs in sharing resources, best practice and co-hosting training and events. SHCG will continue to be represented in this forum. SHCG News was published in April and November 2023 with articles focusing on representing public protest, rural engagement and the power of social history to regenerate communities, as well as pieces focusing on projects at Wakefield Museum and the Museum of Liverpool. Journal vol 47 was published in May 2023, focused on activist practice in museums and featuring a review of Queer Britain. |
| The free Hardship Membership, begun during Covid, continues to be offered to support those who may otherwise be unable to join SHCG. A bi-monthly ‘Legacies of Colonialism’ online meetup has continued to be well attended and is run to provide a space for both members and non-members to discuss and support each other with problems, projects or anything else related to colonial histories and other potentially challenging topics in their work. A seminar ‘Evolving approaches to text in social history museums’ was held online on 22ndMarch 2024, attracting 23 members and 40 non-members and received broadly positive feedback. The 2023 Conference was held in person in Birmingham 9thJune 2023 on the theme of Activism and Professional Practice, attracting 45 delegates, including bursary places to allow early career members to attend. Feedback reflected positively on the mix of sessions including both practical and theoretical case studies, and the lessons learned from the previous year were taken on board, resulting in a noticeable improvement in accessibility. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | SHCG has carried out its purposes as a charity for the public benefit and, in doing so, can confirm we have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference n/a Para 1.38 Policy on grant making n/a Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment n/a Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers n/a Other
Achievements and Performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | Membership numbers were recorded for 2023-24 by the Membership Secretary. As of March 2024, SHCG had the following: 58 individual print members (reduction of 2 on 2022/23) • 109 individual digital members (reduction of 12 on 2022/23) • 92 institutional members (increase of 2 on 2022/23) 7 Hardship Memberships 25 Student Memberships As of March 2024, SHCG had the following: Twitter followers: 4,302 [↑ 1.5%] LinkedIn group followers: 248 [↑ 25%] Facebook page followers: 1301 [↑ 0.5%] |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: | |
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | n/a |
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | n/a |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | n/a |
| Other | n/a |
Financial Review
| Financial Review | ||
|---|---|---|
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | As of 31st March 2024, SHCG has healthy finances, as outlined in the attached accounts, and does not have a deficit. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | The reserves account provides some stability should there be a significant drop in membership income. SHCG may use some of these funds for longer term project activity such as overhauling the website. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £5000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | n/a |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | n/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | n/a |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising) |
Para 1.47 | n/a |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | n/a |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | n/a |
| Other | n/a |
Structure, Governance and Management
| Description of charity’s trusts: |
||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | Constitution of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with voting members other than the charity’s trustees. |
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | CIO |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 | Potential trustees must be members of SHCG and their nomination must be proposed by another member. Nominations are voted on digitally by members and confirmed by a quorum at AGM – those garnering the majority of votes are elected. Trustees are elected for a term of 2 years not serving more than 3 consecutive terms. Trustees in named roles – Chair, Secretary, Treasurer – are elected for 3 years equal to 1 term. All trustees work on a voluntary basis and usually undertake a particular role. |
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements |
where relevant about: | |
| Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees |
Para 1.51 | All trustees are issued with a copy of the constitution, a role description and handover notes from the retiring trustee who previously held that position. |
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 | SHCG is a Subject Specialist Network (SSN), one of many professional networks operating within the museums and heritage sector in the UK. Representatives from each SSN have formed the SSN Consortium which works collaboratively to support individuals and organisations to care for and use their collections for public benefit. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 | n/a |
| Other | n/a |
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | Social History Curators Group |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | SHCG |
| Registered charity number | 1157994 |
| Charity’s principal address | c/o St Fagans National Museum of History, St Fagans, Cardiff, CF5 6XB |
|---|---|
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Elizabeth Foulds |
Chair | SHCG Membership | ||
| Lauren MayCollier | Secretary | SHCG Membership | ||
| Samantha Jane Daisley |
Treasurer | SHCG Membership | ||
| Charlotte May Barron |
SHCG Membership | |||
| Aisha Rafi Arif | SHCG Membership | |||
| Tracey Louise Hebron |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Louise McAward- White |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Jill Birrell | From 31stJuly2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Henry Joseph Roberts |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Imogen Amy Clarke |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Edward Matthew Smith |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Ivet Ivanova Benova |
From 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Michelle Lisa Gayle | Until 31stJuly2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Elizabeth Mei-Lan Douglas |
Until 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Kirsty Marie Parsons |
Until 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
| Frances Catherine Reed |
Until 31stJuly 2023 | SHCG Membership | ||
– 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
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) Amy Elizabeth Foulds ~~a~~ Position (eg Secretary, Chair Chair, etc) ~~ee~~ Date 18/12/2024 ~~Pp~~
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