## **Trustees Report: 2025** 

**Membership:** 135 members. The society has one of the largest subscription membership numbers in the Collingham area. It is continually attracting new members, some of whom have recently moved into the villages, and we are also seeing an increasing following from working-age people. We are also keen to attract students and young people. 

**Finance:** Our financial position remains good and stable, and we know from our members that we continue to offer excellent value for money. We now charge just £10 for annual membership, which provides access to at least six talks, a guided walk, one outing, plus our stand at two major annual village events. Gift Aid is claimed on subscriptions. 

**Events:** We managed to put on a full and varied programme of talks and other activities over the year. 2025 got off to a good start in January with Celebrating the Plough at the local brewery. 

Eight talks were given in the main hall in the village, all of which were very well attended with over 80 being recorded at one or two of them. 

Our sixth popular _Village Walk_ explored the area to the east of the village and included the new development near the railway station and Grade 2 listed station house. 

This year, the society outing was to the Museum of the Horse at Tuxford which is on the route of the original Great North Road. We also had an exhibition stand at Collingham May Fair and Collingham Show in September. Our newly refurbished History Centre in the village now has an open day on the second Saturday of every month and we’re very pleased with people who come and make use of this, often with specific enquiries. 

**History Centre:** Over the 2025 the previously named Jubilee Room has been completely refurbished and reordered at the cost of several thousand pounds. It will be reopened in January 2026 as **Collingham History Centre** . We have been successful in securing a number of grants to fund this ambitious project with the aim to greatly improve access and future use of this valuable resource. 

Research on various topics has continued throughout the past year. Archiving documents has been on hold for a few months whilst the refurbishment work has been taking place. 

**Archaeology:** We staged another dig at John Blow School on the sports field. This annual event is greatly enjoyed by the children who take part in class groups over the day. We conducted a members only test pit dig at the home of one of our trustees where we excavated the foundations of a former cottage in front of the present house.. 

**Records & Archive News:** Our core task is to provide a safe and enduring depository for historical artefacts from the area we serve. We only have provision for documents and quite small items, such as photographic plates and pictures by notable local artists. Our important _Living History Project_ continues, as it ensures we collect the memories of local people now as a resource for generations to come and build a picture of life in Collingham and district over the last 60 or 70 years. Please get in touch with one of the trustees if you have something you wish to donate or if you wish to talk about your memories of times past. 

**Website and Journal:** The website has received a high number of hits over the year and has been improved. We are also on Google and have our own Facebook page. _The Irregular_ is our highly soughtafter journal, and the next issue, Number 7, was published in the spring, 2025 and this is selling well. Well over 850 copies of the six already published editions have been sold. 

## **Nigel Priestley (Chair) and all CDLHS Trustees.** 




## **Collingham and District Local History Society    Charity No. 1164058** 

**RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT: YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2025** 

||**2025**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|
||£|£|
|**RECEIPTS**|||
|Subscriptions|1071.31|1034.00|
|Irregular Sales|185.00|75.00|
|Raffle-net|411.00|266.00|
|Visitors at Meetings, Donations & refreshments|143.83|257.33|
|Lottery|86.50|144.73|
|Grants|700.00||
|HMRC Gift Aid Reclaim|328.96||
|Bank Interest on Savings|105.02|103.06|
|**TOTAL RECEIPTS**|**3031.62**|**1880.12**|
|**PAYMENTS**|||
|Archive materials & Exhibitions|1467.50|550.86|
|Administration|350.55|384.10|
|History Centre – electric|180.00|180.00|
|Hire of Hall|387.00|204.00|
|Speakers fees and expenses|354.60|150.00|
|Donations|100.00||
|Irregular Printing|489.72||
|History Centre Refurbishment Project|5,620.30||
|Other: Postcrete and Gratuity|0|25.94|
|**TOTAL PAYMENTS**|**8,949.67**|**1494.90**|
|**SURPLUS  (DEFICIT)**|**(5,907.66)**|**385.22**|
|**BANK BALANCE CURRENT ACCOUNT**|**733.37**|**2,496.05**|
|**BANK BALANCE SAVINGS ACCOUNT**|**6,000.03**|**10,145.01**|
|**BANK BALANCE TOTAL 31st December**|**6,733.40**|**12,641.06**|



## **N E PRIESTLEY TREASURER: 23[rd] January 2026** 

**AUDIT CERTIFICATE-** Having examined the cashbook and limited available documentation, I am of the opinion that based upon this evidence that the above accounts give a true and fair view of the financial activities of the Collingham & District Local History Society for the year ending 31 December 2025. 


**DATE:     4[th] February 2026** 

**D E BRODELL, AUDITOR:**