## **THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON SOCIETY** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** ## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] DECEMBER 2024** ## **THE AIM OF THE SOCIETY** The Thomas Fowell Buxton Society became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2014. The aim or object of the organisation, set out in our governing document is: “To advance the education of the public in general on the subject of the achievements of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton philanthropist and MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1818-37 and in particular his achievement of the abolition of Slavery throughout the British Empire by Act of Parliament in 1833”. ## **THE SOCIETY’S OBJECTIVES FOR 2024** The Objectives of the Society for 2024 were to continue to educate the public in accordance with our aim by means of the following activities. - a) The care of the Buxton Monument and its Information Board, erected on Bincleaves Green Weymouth. The monument and its information board provide a silent witness to Buxton’s achievements and is now a feature of the town’s heritage. - b) As far as practicable, to organise public events to foster recognition of Buxton as a philanthropist, reformer and abolitionist. - c) To keep members informed via newsletters and a website. ## **THE SOCIETY’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024** ## **Annual General Meeting 2024** This was held on Wednesday 13th March 2024. The Mayor, Cllr. Kate Wheller, as president of our Society opened the proceedings. James Buxton gave the Trustees’ report which described the activities of the Society during 2023. John Fannon gave the Treasurer’s Report. After the business of the meeting and a pause for refreshments, Joyce Fannon gave a presentation on Buxton’s letters, Mail Coaches in Georgian times and Buxton’s Coaching journeys. ## **Presentations to outside organisations** In 2024 Society members gave presentations to outside organisations at Weymouth, Dorset, Broughton in Hampshire and Norwich, Norfolk. Six presentations have been given in Norwich. Two of these were to the prestigious Norwich Society. The Norwich Society printed an article by Alison Dow, in their magazine. The article was entitled _Thomas Fowell Buxton ‘The Liberator’._ 1 ## **Presentation to a Parliamentary Select Committee** In January 2024 Richard Buxton led a team petitioning against the proposed Holocaust Memorial Bill. The Thomas Fowell Buxton Society was one of the petitioners and John Fannon, a member of the Society gave evidence to the Select Committee of the House of Commons. His evidence to members of the Select committee, recounted how the Society came to be formed to honour Buxton who had been MP for Weymouth between 1818 and 1837 and the steps taken to raise a monument on Bincleaves Green. He made a plea that the Buxton Memorial Fountain was threated and would be very much overshadowed by the proposed Holocaust Memorial. He pointed out that the Buxton Memorial Fountain was the only memorial that recognised the Britain’s unique role in abolishing slavery. In particular, the people of Britain and Ireland even though they did not have a vote had convinced Parliament by their numerous petitions. This evidence was much appreciated by the members of the Select Committee who expressed their thanks for this historical perspective. ## **Society Events in Weymouth Dorset** As well as the AGM and presentation in March 2024, the other main Society event in the year was the Anti-Slavery Day Event in October with two presentations given, one before and one after the interval break. One of our network partners locally is Fairtrade and a Fairtrade stall was present at the event. ## **Social Events - Luncheons** Adding to the social side of our Society, members attended lunches in February and in November at the Wishing Well, Upwey, near Weymouth. The Society aims to have two such lunches a year giving members the opportunity for a day out with friends in an informal setting. ## **Westminster Abbey Service** The Memorial Service is held at the Abbey on a Saturday nearest to 1[st] August as on that day in 1834, slaves in the British Empire were emancipated and became British subjects of the King. The 3[rd] of August 2024 twenty three people gathered for the Westminster Abbey Service at the Buxton Statue in the North Quire Aisle of Westminster Abbey. The Venerable Tricia Hillas, Canon in Residence, led the service. She paid tribute to Thomas Fowell Buxton and his Parliamentary colleagues “who with steadfastness through a turbulent ten-year period enabled the emancipation of 800,000 enslaved people”. ## **Annual Service at Bincleaves Green, Weymouth, Dorset, at the Buxton** ## **Monument** The annual Society Memorial Service at Bincleaves Green, Weymouth, Dorset, was held on Sunday, September 8th, 2024 at the Buxton Monument. The service was led by Professor Carl Whitehouse, from St Mary’s Anglican Church, Weymouth. Sixteen people attended in a welcome break in the very wet weather. 2 ## **Educating a new generation** Our Society online Schools Education Pack _Thomas Fowell Buxton and Slavery_ is available for downloading by Primary School teachers during the annual Fairtrade Fortnight which is celebrated in schools nationwide. Carl Whitehouse gave a presentation to 60 year-8 students at Wey Valley Academy, Weymouth, in October. ## **Information given to outside agencies on request** Information was sent to The Reform Club in London for their planned exhibition entitled _Abolishing Slavery in the British Colonies: Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton and other Forgotten Champions of the Abolition Campaign._ The exhibition, starting in February, ran for six months. A booklet for the exhibition was published by the Reform Club which acknowledged the help of our Society. Hazel Phillips, a member of our Society and Westminster Guide, took a group of Australians to see the exhibition at the Reform Club. The group included the former 27[th] Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard. She held the position from June 2010 to June 2013. She had migrated with her family to Adelaide in South Australia from Wales in 1966. Thomas Fowell Buxton’s first recognition was in 1837, when a street in Adelaide was named Buxton Street. ## **Newsletters** Four newsletters were circulated during the year to keep members informed of Society events. Each year Society members receive at least three 8-page newsletters in A5 format. The newsletter format includes a short article of 500 words on a Buxton theme further extending our educational role to our 88 members. Our Society promotes organisations that combat modern slavery. In each edition of the Newsletter a short article has featured different organisations and charities aiming to combat this modern evil. ## **Articles in the Dorset Year Book** Society articles have been accepted and published in the _Dorset Year Book_ for 2020, 2022, 2023 editions. In 2023 an article was submitted and accepted for the 2024 Year Book but had to be held over into the 2025 edition, which was eventually published in October 2024. All the articles have involved some aspects of the life and achievements of Thomas Fowell Buxton _. The Dorset Year Book_ has a readership of 1,600. ## **Publication of a Third Society Book to be entitled** _**Indomitable Courage**_ In 2024 articles were collected for a new Society book and sent to the editor, Dr Beatrice Fannon. Articles have been submitted by Richard R Follett, Carl Whitehouse, Jeremy Harbord, Ben Buxton and Joyce Fannon. The dates of publication and Book Launch are still to be agreed in 2025. ## **CARE OF THE BUXTON MONUMENT** 3 The Buxton Monument, erected in 2017 on Bincleaves Green by the Society, together with its National Lottery funded information Board educates the passing public every day, especially in the tourist season. The Thomas Fowell Buxton Society owns the Monument and has a 50-year lease on the public land on which it stands. The Society therefore has a duty of care to maintain the Monument and take out public liability insurance. During 2024, the Monument needed no extra maintenance. Albion Stone who supplied the Portland stone with which the monument has been built, advise letting the monument ‘weather’ for a few years before cleaning and re-waxing. Minor work was carried out by members of the Society to remove weeds from the gravel path around the monument. ## **MEMBERSHIP** The current list of members and supporters stands at 88, and of these 39 are life members and 49 are ordinary members. Many members have now taken up the option of paying membership dues by standing order. ## **FINANCES** Annex A to this document shows the financial report. A summary is given below. Our income for the year 2024 was £1901 This includes late donations of £700 to the Home Leone fund. Our expenditure for 2024 was £1533 with the major expense being £622.64 for public liability insurance for the Monument. Our closing balance for our main account on 31[st] December 2024 was £7777 comprising: Main Account (Bank + Paypal) £ 7077 Home Leone Account ## **THE SOCIETY’S PLANS FOR 2025** - a) To continue the care and maintenance of the Monument - b) To continue to give presentations to local groups on request - c) To continue to provide 3 newsletters per year and maintain the website - d) To seek new members - e) To prepare a calendar of events for members ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The Governance and Management of the Society comprises: 1. The Honorary President. Since the formation of the Society, the current Mayor of Weymouth is considered to be de facto Honorary President and all incumbents so far have been delighted to accept this office. The President will preside over the Annual General Meeting and if diary permits will attend the various functions of the Society. 2. The Trustees. At present there are three trustees which is the minimum as required by law. Members of the society may volunteer to be a trustee. The process of appointing Trustees is set out in the governing document. 4 3. A committee which has no formal standing but meets regularly to advise the Trustees on the management of the society. Any member of the Society may attend these meetings which are held approximately every 2 months. ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** At AGM 2024 the Trustees were Mrs Anne McKechan Miss Anna Viccars-Barber Dr John Fannon who acts as Treasurer and Webmaster. ## **WEBSITE** www.thomasfowellbuxton.org.uk **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER** 1158648 **BANKERS** Barclays Bank Plc, Leicester LE87 2BB 5 ANNEXA tF-.T1r t￿￿_T* P.IT*•n to-. Itt Recelpts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds tolhè nèarest Restricted funds EndowTnent funds Total funds Last yeai tothe ne4rest£ to the neaiest E tolhe nearest£ lothe neate3t£ A1 R•c•l embership Presentations Donab'oTrs Events Books BadgesnAerchandise Home Leone Donab"ons Legacy Amazon Srnile Easy Fundraising HMRC Gfft￿d Postage 417 417 J19 265 168 351 265 195 28 431 65 351 700 700 4,381 500 19 1,472 Sub toral(Gross incon7e for AR) 1J01 7A32 A2 Asset and inve51ment sales. (see table). Sub rotal Totalreceipts 1,901 7,432 A3 Payments Insurance WePJsrte Postage Room hire K4aterials Pnnting of Book orne Leone Event Tea and Cffee exp Websrte Domain Fee 623 623 590 179 91 105 43 109 109 692 19 14 692 19 14 4316 Sth"onery 33 1533 33 1533 35 S316 Sub iotsl A4 Asset and investment urchases. s•• tabl• Sub total 1,533.110 1,533.fJ) 5,316 Net of recelpts/(paymentsJ A5 Transfers betrween funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash funds this year end 2.116 7.408.69 7.408.69 7.176.69 3.055 5,171 7.776.69 ANNEXA Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to neaiest £ Restricted funds to nearest£ Endowment funds to neaiest £ Categories Details B1 Cash funds 1th"nACc￿￿I 7.673 Paypal Acct 104 Toral cash funds l•gree l*ces wqh receyts and ￿y￿1$ account(sll Unrestricted funds to nearesi £ Restricted funds Endo*inent funds nearest£ Detalls + Treare$i£ B2 Other monetary assets Fund to ¥Jhich asset tekn)os Cutrentvalue lopbonall Details Cosi loptK Fund to THhich a$s￿be￿o9 Cutrentvahse Details Cosi IWK {cwall B4 Assets rètained for the charity's own use Fund to *fftich ieiates +kni(wnt due Details Tieasurefs Exwises BS Liabilities Voice Amplther 6374 stAdhelms 18 OctObei2022 50.62 Home Leone Donation 700 Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all Ihe trustees Date of roval Shjnawe JOHN A FANNON 26m212025