Charity registration number: 1162319
## The Oxford Bibliographical Society
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the Year Ended 31 December 2024
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Contents (continued)**
|Reference and Administrative Details|1|
|---|---|
|Trustees' Report|2 to 4|
|Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities|5|
|Independent Examiner's Report|6|
|Statement of Financial Activities|7|
|Balance Sheet|8|
|Notes to the Financial Statements|9 to 14|
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Reference and Administrative Details**
**Trustees** Nikki Tomkins Professor Emma Josephine Smith Dr David George Rundle Daniel Joseph Fried Dr Francesca Louise Galligan Elizabeth Jane Adams Paul Westcott Nash Scott Howard Mandelbrote Professor Adam Smyth Alexandra Elizabeth Plane Dr Mark Stuart Byford John Ryan Dr Lucy Elizabeth Pasteur Dr Sarah Cusk Mark Davidson Bainbridge Nigel Guy Wilson FBA **Charity Registration Number** 1162319 **Principal Office** University of Oxford Bodleian Libeary Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG
Page 1
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Trustees' Report**
The trustees present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2024.
## **Objectives and activities**
## _**Objects and aims**_
The Society exists to advance education by the encouragement of research in bibliographical subjects and by the dissemination of that research to the scholarly community and the wider public.
## _**Objectives, strategies and activities**_
In support of the aims of the Society it has, during 2024, printed a new scholarly volume, held meetings, given grants to researchers. Details given below.
## Publications
During 2024, the Society published Essays to mark the centenary of the Oxford Bibliographical Society, 1922-2022, edited by David Rundle and H.R. Woudhuysen. The Society has been preparing for publication a volume to be titled Samuel Palmer, printer, of London (fl. 1717-1732) by J.C. Ross, and a descriptive catalogue of the Greek manuscripts belonging to Lincoln College Oxford.
Talks and meetings Thursday 18 January 2024: NICHOLAS PICKWOAD, Bindings from the Fellows’ Library, Jesus College (a hands-on workshop) Thursday 1 February 2024: MATT WILLS, Politics, paper, print: reflections on the book history of the Mao era Thursday 7 March 2024: GEORGIJ PARPULOV, Greek manuscripts from the collection of Lincoln College Thursday 6 June 2024: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING with PETER LINDFIELD, The art of antiquarian forgery in Georgian Britain Thursday 17 October 2024 (jointly with the Centre for the Study of the Book): JOSHUA ECKHARDT, The scribal publication of ‘The discourse of John Selden, Esq.’ Thursday 28 November 2024 (jointly with the Oxford University Society of Bibliophiles): ABIGAIL REYNOLDS, Lost libraries: an artist’s journey along the Silk Road (talk and film, accompanied by an exhibition)
## Grants
The Society awarded 5 grants to researchers totalling £1596 during 2024. Grants were awarded to further research in bibliographic subjects, either for travel costs, costs of digitisation, or costs relating to conferences, seminars, and workshops.
During 2024, the Society £950 raised through member donations which is to be held as a Restricted fund for grants in 2025.
Page 2
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Trustees' Report (continued)**
## _**Public benefit**_
With regard to public benefit delivery, the Charity
(a) prints and disseminates publications, in print and electronically;
(b) holds meetings for the discussion of questions concerning manuscripts and printed books and the arts and trades connected with them;
(c) organises visits to libraries and collections;
The trustees confirm that they have complied with the requirements of section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
## **Trustees and officers**
The trustees and officers serving during the year and since the year end were as follows:
Trustees: Nikki Tomkins (appointed 29 May 2025) Professor Emma Josephine Smith Dr David George Rundle Daniel Joseph Fried Dr Francesca Louise Galligan Elizabeth Jane Adams Paul Westcott Nash (appointed 29 May 2025) Scott Howard Mandelbrote Professor Adam Smyth Alexandra Elizabeth Plane Dr Mark Stuart Byford John Ryan Dr Lucy Elizabeth Pasteur Dr Sarah Cusk Mark Davidson Bainbridge Nigel Guy Wilson FBA
Page 3
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Trustees' Report (continued)**
## **Structure, governance and management**
## _**Organisational structure**_
The governing body of the Oxford Bibliographical Society is its Council, the members of which are the Trustees of the Society. A Trustee must be a member of the Society, or the nominated representative of an organisation that is a member of the Society. The Council shall consist of:
## (a) the President
(b) Officers, namely the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Web Officer, the Membership Secretary, the Publicity/Marketing Officer, the Grants Officer and not more than three General Editors;
(c) Ordinary Members, who shall be not more than twelve in number;
(d) the immediate Past-President, for the first year after the end of their tenure of office as President.
(e) A ‘Bookseller to the Society’ who shall be elected from time to time to represent the Society’s interests in the sale of its publications
Trustees are elected as follows:
(a) The President and Ordinary Members, as set out above, shall be elected by the Society in general meeting.
(b) The Officers, as set out above, shall be appointed by the Council.
The Society in general meeting can elect any member of the Society to act as Trustee. The Secretary must be notified of their nomination not less than 14 days before the relevant General Meeting, having received the nominee’s consent.
The annual report was approved by the trustees of the charity on 31 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Elizabeth Jane Adams Trustee
Page 4
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities**
The trustees are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and applicable law and regulations.
The law applicable to charities requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and
- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, and the provisions of the constitution. The trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website. Legislation governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Approved by the trustees of the charity on 31 October 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
......................................... Elizabeth Jane Adams Trustee
Page 5
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Independent Examiner's Report to the trustees of The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Oxford Bibliographical Society for the year ended 31 December 2024.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of The Oxford Bibliographical Society you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the The Oxford Bibliographical Society's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of The Oxford Bibliographical Society as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
...................................... Martin James Wright Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors ICAEW
37 Market Square Witney Oxon OX28 6RE
31 October 2025
Page 6
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Income and Endowments from:**
Donations and legacies
2
Charitable activities
3
Investment income
4
Other income
5
Total income
**Expenditure on:**
Charitable activities
6
Other expenditure
7
Total expenditure
Net income
Net movement in funds
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
Total funds carried forward
13|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**£**
-
11,335
12
16,256
27,603
(11,490)
(919)
(12,409)
15,194
15,194
72,818
88,012|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
950
-
-
-
950
-
-
-
950
950
-
950|**Total**
**2024**
**£**
950
11,335
12
16,256|
|---|---|---|---|
||||28,553|
||||(11,490)
(919)|
||||(12,409)|
||||16,144|
||||16,144
72,818|
||||88,962|
All of the charity's activities derive from continuing operations during the above two periods. The funds breakdown for 2023 is shown in note 13.
The notes on pages 9 to 14 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 7
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **(Registration number: 1162319) Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024**
|**Note**
**Current assets**
Cash at bank and in hand
11
**Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year**
12
**Net assets**
**Funds of the charity:**
**Restricted income funds**
Restricted funds
**Unrestricted income funds**
Unrestricted funds
**Total funds**
13|**2024**
**£**
90,302
(1,340)|
|---|---|
||88,962|
||950
88,012|
||88,962|
The financial statements on pages 7 to 14 were approved by the trustees, and authorised for issue on 31 October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:
......................................... Elizabeth Jane Adams Trustee
The notes on pages 9 to 14 form an integral part of these financial statements. Page 8
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024**
## **1 Accounting policies**
## **Statement of compliance**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
## **Basis of preparation**
The Oxford Bibliographical Society meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note(s) to these accounts.
## **Going concern**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
## **Income and endowments**
Voluntary income including donations, gifts, legacies and grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
## _**Investment income**_
Dividends are recognised once the dividend has been declared and notification has been received of the dividend due.. Income from bank and other deposits is recorded on a received basis.
## **Expenditure**
All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.
All resources expended are inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.
## _**Charitable activities**_
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
## _**Grant provisions**_
Provisions for grants are made when the intention to make a grant has been communicated to the recipient but there is uncertainty about either the timing of the grant or the amount of grant payable.
Page 9
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **Governance costs**
These include the costs attributable to the charity’s compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, including audit, strategic management and trustees meetings and reimbursed expenses.
## **Irrecoverable VAT**
Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.
## **Taxation**
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
## **Stock**
The Society produces printed books and booklets for sale and whilst it may hold stocks the net realisable value is difficult to establish as print runs are frequently greater than the expected initial sales. Therefore the net realisable value of any remaining stock, after initial sales, is deemed zero.
## **Cash and cash equivalents**
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
## **Fund structure**
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Restricted income funds are those donated for use in a particular area or for specific purposes, the use of which is restricted to that area or purpose.
## **2 Income from donations and legacies**
|Regular giving and capital donations
**Total for 2024**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
950
950|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
950|
|---|---|---|
|||950|
Page 10
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **3 Income from charitable activities**
|Publications
**Total for 2024**
**4**
**Investment income**
Interest receivable and similar income;
Interest receivable on bank deposits
**Total for 2024**
**5**
**Other income**
Membership fees
**Total for 2024**
**6**
**Expenditure on charitable activities**
**Note**
Publications
Grant funding of activities
Governance costs
**Total for 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
11,335
11,335
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
12
12
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
16,256
16,256
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
9,204
946
1,340
11,490|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
11,335|
|---|---|---|
|||11,335|
|||**Total**
**funds**
**£**
12|
|||12|
|||**Total**
**funds**
**£**
16,256|
|||16,256|
|||**Total**
**funds**
**£**
9,204
946
1,340|
|||11,490|
Page 11
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **7 Other expenditure**
|**Note**
Other resources expended
**Total for 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
919
919|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
919|
|---|---|---|
|||919|
## **8 Analysis of governance and support costs**
## **Governance costs**
|Independent examiner fees
Examination of the financial statements
**Total for 2024**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
1,340
1,340|**Total**
**funds**
**£**
1,340|
|---|---|---|
|||1,340|
Page 12
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **9 Trustees remuneration and expenses**
During the year the charity made the following transactions with trustees:
## **Dr Sarah Cusk**
£808 of expenses were reimbursed to Dr Sarah Cusk during the year.
## Postage and camera
## **Elizabeth Jane Adams**
£198 of expenses were reimbursed to Elizabeth Jane Adams during the year.
## Stamps and Lables
## **Professor Adam Smyth**
£205 of expenses were reimbursed to Professor Adam Smyth during the year.
## Word Press fee and expenses
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year. No trustees have received any other benefits from the charity during the year.
Page 13
## **The Oxford Bibliographical Society**
## **Notes to the Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 (continued)**
## **10 Taxation**
The charity is a registered charity and is therefore exempt from taxation.
## **11 Cash and cash equivalents**
|Cash at bank
**12 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Accruals|**2024**
**£**
90,302|
|---|---|
||**2024**
**£**
1,340|
## **13 Funds**
|**Unrestricted funds**
General
**Restricted funds**
**Total funds**|**Balance at 1**
**January 2024**
**£**
72,818
-
72,818|**Incoming**
**resources**
**£**
27,603
950
28,553|**Resources**
**expended**
**£**
(12,409)
-
(12,409)|**Balance at 31**
**December**
**2024**
**£**
88,012
950|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||88,962|
## **Unrestricted funds**
## **14 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Current assets
Current liabilities
Total net assets|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**General**
**£**
89,352
(1,340)
88,012|**Restricted**
**funds**
**£**
950
-
950|**Total funds at**
**31 December**
**2024**
**£**
90,302
(1,340)|
|---|---|---|---|
||||88,962|
Page 14