2025-03-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 01/04/2024 To 31/03/2025

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 online to facilitate as broad access as possible, with one in person meeting held at Stevenage Museum. An Extraordinary Meeting was held in November 2024 to discuss forward planning ahead of the changeover of a number of trustees at the 2025 AGM. SHCG Chair advocated for a successful reconsideration of the closure of Abbey House Museum to the Leader of Leeds Council, through sending a direct letter, completing consultation forms and signing a petition. SHCG is represented on the Subject Specialist Networks Consortium by the Chair, although no meetings were held this year. The network had remained active via email, although consultation has taken place on how best to continue the network with new leadership to continue 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 and takes an active interest in its future. SHCG News was published in April and November 2024 with an increased number of contributors and the introduction of interviews and discussions with sector professionals alongside reviews and project

		spotlights. Journal vol 48 was published in November 2024, focused on Emotion in Museums in line with the Conference theme. The selection of articles in this issue allowed for emerging professionals and more diverse voices to be featured, with a slightly less academic style. The free Hardship Membership, begun during Covid, continues to be offered to support those who may otherwise be unable to join SHCG due to the rising cost of living and increasing issues with redundancy in the sector. A bi-monthly ‘Legacies of Colonialism’ online meetup continued for the first half of the year and was 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. As wider sector support in this area has increased, it was felt that this space was no longer needed. A seminar focused on Intangible Cultural Heritage was held online on 27thNovember 2024, as a collaboration with another Subject Specialist Network. This brought in £106 in ticket sales and received broadly positive feedback. The 2024 Conference was held online across two days in June 2024 on the theme of Emotion in Museums, attracting between 30 and 52 delegates across the sessions, including bursary places to allow early career members to attend. A series of complementary in person visits were also organised at Leeds City Museum and the Brunel Museum, although with limited takeup. Feedback was wide-ranging, with lessons learned taken on board for the 2025 Conference. A trial of organisational tickets for larger institutions and institutional members was successful, and increased participation in these museums. The firstBASE sub-Committee continued to meet to discuss new ways of promoting skills and resources for social history professionals.
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 2024-25 by the Membership Secretary. As of March 2025, SHCG had the following: 58 individual print members (equal to 2023/24) • 108 individual digital members (reduction of 1 on 2023/24) • 90 institutional members (reduction of 2 on 2023/24) 8 Hardship Memberships (increase of 1 on 2023/24) 15 Student Memberships As of March 2025, SHCG had the following: Twitter followers: 3,604 ↓15%(account no longer active) LinkedIn group followers: 355↑ 43% Facebook page followers: 1298 ↓0.2% BlueSky followers: (new account) 1,162 Instagram followers: (new account) 360
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 2025, 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 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(if any)
	Amy Elizabeth Foulds	Chair		SHCG Membership
	Samantha Jane Daisley	Treasurer		SHCG Membership
	Charlotte May Barron			SHCG Membership
	Edward Matthew Smith			SHCG Membership
	Tracey Louise Hebron			SHCG Membership
	Louise McAward- White			SHCG Membership
	Jill Birrell	Secretary		SHCG Membership
	Henry Joseph Roberts			SHCG Membership
	Imogen Amy Clarke			SHCG Membership
	Ivet Ivanova Benova			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 17/12/2025 ~~Pp~~

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Independent examlner's report on the accounts 9" July 2(r25 To Thhrrt)8rs of So¢>al Hisknry Curaknrs Group on the accounis for Ihe yw ended 31 March 2025. This report is made solety lo the societys members. as a body. (￿r exaMinalK￿ work has boen undertaken so thai we rn￿h1 state kn the societys merrt)8rs those matt8rs we are foquired to stats kn them in an examiners. report aThJ for no other wrwse. To the fullest extent Permined by law. we do accepi or assume responsibilty to anyone other than the soo'ety arKI the society's mernbers as a LK>dy, for work, for this re￿rt, or lor Ihe opinions we have formed. R8sp8eiiv• r•sponslbllltlè# of Soelèty Board Members and axamlner The Society Board Members C￿sKIer that an audrt is not required for this year as an appropriaie resolu1￿n was appffjved by mentsts ai iho last AGM and thai an iThJ8pendent examination is Ihefefora appropnale. 11 is our reSp(￿SIbil￿ to: examine the accounts follow th8 proc8(JJres laia l￿wn in G￿￿ra1 th"recbons 9￿￿ by Social Htslory Curators Group: and slat8 W￿ther parti￿lar mallers ha￿ co￿? to our allentK)n. Basls ol IndeperKlent •xamln•r'$ $iatement Our examination was carried OLrt in accordance ￿th General Directicffis given by Social Hisiory Curators Group. An examinai#M includes a re￿W of ￿ accountsng records kept by the charity arKI a compafison of the accwnts present￿1 with Ihose reLx>rds. 11 also includes considefalK of any unusual (iems or disclosures accounts and se8ks explanalM)ns from tt18 trusl88s concerning any such matters. The proc8dur8s undeflaken do noi provKI8 all the 8videnc8 that woukl be required in an arnl. ￿nse(W8n1ty. we (kn not expr8ss an aud￿ q)in￿n on tr accounts. Independent examlner's statemenl In the course of our examinatK)n, no matter has Cor￿ to wr attenti¢xi' 1. Which gives us reas￿able cause kn believe that in any m*erial r8SP8th requirements: to keep accounting recoNls. and to prepare acLx)unls wh￿h accord wrth Ihe accoLmting records and conply wilh Generally acc8Pt8d accountiTrJ requirements hav8 riot b88n m81. Of 2. To which. in ￿r crf>inion. atten￿n shoukl b8 dravm in order to enabl8 a proper und&rstandng of Ihe aca)unts to be reached. L group Zwp Surte LU.231. Tr Lyht ￿1b 1 Fila￿nt Walk Wandsworth. Lon¢kn) SW184GQ