FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1165223 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 202S friends of Gloucestershire Archives
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHAIUTY NUMBER 1165223 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The trustees present their report for the year ended 31 March 2025. Administrative information President Edward Gillespie OBE, Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Trustees The trustees during the year were as follows.. Clive Andrews Heather Forbes Caroline Meller Claire Gibson David Cook Stephen Haygarth Dr Chery Ann Knott Dr Michael Swanwick Chair Head of Archive Services (¢x officio) Secretary Treasurer Appointed 22 May 2024 The Irustees were assisted by.. Brenda Fermer Membership Secretary Ethan Langfield Events Paul Evans Social Media Registered address Glou¢¢stershire Archives Alvin Street Gloucester GLI 3DW Bankers Lloyds Bank 130 High Street Cheltenham GL50 IEW Independent Examiner S.E. Brown FCA, CTA 2 Chancel Way Charlton Kings Cheltenham GL53 7RR
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1165223 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 - cont. Object The object of ihe charity is: To advance the education of the public in the understanding and preservation of the documented heritage of the historic county of Gloucestershire, especially by the promotion, support and improvement of Gloucestershire Archives. Slru¢ture, Governanee and Management The charity was registered with the Charity Commission on 19 January 2016. The Charity was created as a successor to The Friends of Gloucestershire Archives (Registered Charity No. 1029013), which was an unincorporated organisation founded in 1993. The cun'ent charity has a membership which is open to anyone who is interested in furtheringi its puiposes. M¢mb¢rs pay a small annual subscription, but this may be waived by the trustees. The constitution provides for a minimum of six and a maximurn of 12 trustees. The constitution sets out the powers of the trustees, the manner of appointment, resignation and removal of irustees. and the procedures and controls which govern the adtninistration of th¢ charity. The head of the archive service for Gloucestershire is an ex officio trustee. It is the wlicy of the charity to provide appropriate induction and training for all new trustees. Public benefit The Érustees of the Friends of Glouceslershire Archives CIO have paid due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit. The trustees believe that the requirements of the public benefit test are being met. Risk managemenl The trustees periodically review the operational, financial, regulatory, legal and strategic risks affecting the charity. Appropriale measures to mitigate the effects of identified risks are in place and remain under review. Fundraising The charity does not use third parties for fundraising and the trustees are satisfied that their own fundraising activities comply with b¢st practice as set out by the Fundraising Regulator. Reserves policy The truslees aim to retain approximately one third of the annual subscription income as a reserve. Reserve funds can be drawn on al short notice lo purchase Gloucestershire related documents for the Archives if they are offered for sale. When making such purchases the trustees are guided by Glouc¢st¢rshire Archive staff. Data Protection The charity has a data protection policy which was introduced in May 2018 in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. A copy of the policy is available on the charity's website.
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY IYUMBER 1165223 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025- cont. Achi¢vements and Pcrformanee In May 2024 the trustees were pleased to welcome the return of Dr Michael Swanwick as a trustee. Michael had served as a trustee before, and was secretary from 2008 to 2013. Ethan Langfeld, recently appoinled an apprentice at the Heritage Hub, assumed responsibility for assisting the trustees with organising events. We are very grate] to both of them for taking on these roles. We are also very grateful to other mernbers of the Archive staff, Brenda Fenner for continuing to undertake the role of Metnbership Secretary, and Paul Evans who helps the charity with social media. During the year Claire Collins was appointed County and Diocesan Archivist, while Heather Forbes took on a new part-time i'ole as Head of Archive Services. Claire kindly agreed to continue as the Friends, treasur¢r despite her new responsibilities, although in the longer tenn the trustees hope to find someone with appropriate skklls who can relieve her of the burden of overseeing the Friends, finances. Trustees were grateful to know that Heather will continue as ex-offi¢io trustee, a role she has held since 2005. We ar¢ immensely grateful to Sue Brown for voluntarily sharing her financial expertise by giving advice and for continuing as the charily's External Examiner, a role she has now fulfilled for over a decade. In the last Annual Report it was announced that the Friends were a beneficiary of the will of long-time member of the Friends Pat Bath. In August 2024 the charity received an interim payment of over £2.500 as part of her legacy. The Executor has experienced problems in selling her property. so the balance of the legacy is yet to be received. Long standing member of the Friends, Miss Nancy Lockwood, sadly died in December 2023, at which time the Friends were told that they were a beneficiary of her will. Nancy was the longest serving volunteer at the Archives, so it was she who had been chosen to cut th¢ celebratory cake when The Princess Royal opened the renovated Archive building in 2019. A few days after the end of the 2024125 financial year the Friends received the legacy which amounted to just under £16,000. Since the year end the trustees have decided that they would use the legacy, together with the initial instalment of Pat Bath's bequest, to fund a Graduate Archive Trainee for a year. The post attracted over 60 applicants, and an appointment has since been made. Gloucestershire Archives has an extremely successful record of training archivists but had not been able to make such an appointment recently becaus¢ of financial constraints. Hopefully the successful applicant will find their year in Gloucester a starting point for a fulfilling career in archive services, something which would be imm¢nsely gratifying to both Pat Bath and Nancy Lockwood. The Friend5 purchased a number of documents for the Archives during the year. The Staunton Court farm account book for 1853-9, provides a detailed i'ecord of the management of the fann. a Cheltenham pharniacist's notebook. includes details of medications prescribed. with customevs narnes and addresses, and also particulars of local 'pauper lunatics and an early 20th Century book records the poor rates paid by residents of Cold Asliton. The Fi'iends also successfully bid at auction for a random collection of 90 vellllm and paper documents dating from 1617 to 1932, including deeds. documenls and indentures, all concerning Gloucestershire people and places. The collection is currently being examined and catalogued.
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTFRSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1165223 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 - eont. Achievements and Performance- Cont. Trustees agreed a donation of £100 to assist with document purchases by the Gloucestershire Police Archive. The ar¢hiv¢ is based at the Heritage Hub and police documents are included in the main Archiv¢s' online catalogue. During the year the trustees set up a non-profit account with Microsoft which will shortly enable the Friends, documents to be stored digitally in a cenlral location ensuring easy access for tSlee8, and ensuring digital preservation of the documents. The charity successfully applied to be placed on the Charity Commission's new register of merged charities. Thi5 fornially links the old FOGA charity with the newer chilable Incorporated Organisation (FOGA CIO) ensuring that any legacies left in the name of the previous charity can be re¢¢ived by the CIO without legal complications. The trustees, decision last year to hold joint talks with the Gloucestershire Family History Society has been successful and the talks during the year have been very well attended. Members have also welcomed the opportunity regularly to meet infomially with members of the Family History Society. The Friends were pleased to welcome the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, the charity's President, to speak at its well-attended 2024 Annual General Meeting. The Charity has long been supported by the County's Lords-Lieutenant, for which we are immensely gratefijl. Members of the Friends received two newsletters during the year, and we are grateful to John Putley for taking the lead role in compiling them. and for making major contributions. The Friends again held their annual mystery tour, which many members were able to enjoy. The tiustees gratefully acknowledge the skill and hard work of Dr John Chandler in planning and conducting the tour, as he had done in many previous years. Although membership numbers decreased very slightly during the year the charity continues to flourish and fulfil its purpose of supporting Gloucestershire Archives. Signed on behalf of the Trustees Clive Andrews, Chair 9 October 2025
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES cio I report on the a¢¢ounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2025, which are set out on pages 6 to 9. Respective r¢sponsibilities of Trustces and Examiner The charity's Trustees are responsible for th¢ preparation of the accounts. The Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (th¢ Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to.. ¢xamine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145{5)(b) of the Charities Act, and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent Examiner's report My examination was carried out in aOrdanCe with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a cornparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes Consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the TSteeS concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair, view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below. Independent Exvdminer's statement In connection with my examination, no matter has corne to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the trustees have not Met the requirements.. to keep proper accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirement of the Charities Act- or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. S.E. Brown FCA, CTA 2 Chancel Way Charlton Kings Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7RR 9 October 2025
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHAIUTY IYUMBER 1165223 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Unrestrieted Funds Restricted Funds 2025 Total 2024 Total IDcoming Resources Subs¢riptions= Ordinary Subscriptions= Family Subs¢riptions= Gr(>ups Gift Aid DonatioThs Legacie5 Events Interest 810 330 240 246 855 18,634 975 195 810 330 240 246 975 18,634 975 322 850 255 280 189 2,245 120 690 179 127 Total incoming resour¢¢s 22,285 247 22,532 4,688 Resources Expended Purchases Projects Insurance and sub%riptions Website Events Annual General Meeting Sundries 819 120 5,000 939 5,000 95 234 660 595 95 234 660 95 198 855 71 86 86 Total resources expended 1,898 5,120 7,018 1,814 Net movement In funds Reeoneili#tion of funds Total funds brought forward 20,387 (4,873) 15,514 2,874 12,291 10,845 23,136 20,262 Total funds carrled forward 32,678 5,972 38,650 23.136
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1165223 BALANCE SHEET 31 MARCH 2025 Unrestricted Restricted Fllnds Funds 2025 Total 2024 Total Note Current assets Debtors and prepayments Bank current account Bank deposit account Bank deposit account- Designated and Restricted 241 18,386 14,417 241 18,426 14.417 1,790 2,319 9,627 5,932 5,932 9,845 Total current assets 33,044 5,972 39,016 23,581 Current liabilities Creditors and accruals 366 366 445 Total current liabilities 366 366 445 Total net assets 32,678 5,972 38,650 23,136 Funds of the Charlty Unrestricted funds Restricted funds 32.678 32,678 5,972 12,291 10,845 5,972 Total funds carried forward 32,678 5,972 38,650 23,136 For and on behalf of the Trustees Claire Gibson, Treasurer 9 October 2025
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1165223 NOTES TO THE ACCOUTrITS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of accounting These accounts have been prepared under the hislori¢al cost convention and in accordance with the Charities Sial¢m¢nt of Re¢ommended Praetiee (FRS 102). Recognition of incoming resourees These are included in the Stateinent of Financial Activities when the charity becomes entitled to the resource, the trustees are vittually certain they will receive the resourc¢s and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient i'eliability. Tax reclaims on donationy? gifts and subscriptlOll8 Gift Aid receivable is included in incotne when there is a valid declai'ation from the donor. Any Gift Aid amount I'ecovered is considered lo be part of that donation, gift or subs¢ription. Recognition of outgoing resourees Expenditure is generally recognised when a liability is incurred. Debtors Debtoi's are stated at the amount expected to be recovered. Liability recognition Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is legal or ¢onstru¢tive obligation committing the Charity to pay out resources and th¢ amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty. DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS 2025 General Restricted 2024 Gener41 Total Gift Aid 241 241 1,790 241 241 1,790 CREDITORS AND ACCRUALS 2025 Ceneral Reslrieled 2024 General Total Subscriptions r¢ceived in advance Donations Pur¢has¢s 150 150 45 400 216 216 366 366 445
FRIENDS OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHIVES CIO CHAIUTY NUMBER 1165223 NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS- eont. FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 RESTRICTED FUNDS Purchases for GA Witts Young Catalogue Catalogue For the Record Totsl Balance l April 2024 Receipts 5,047 62 5.485 62 313 10,845 247 120 120 120 5,109 5.000 5.547 316 11,092 5.120 P&yments Balance 31 March 2025 109 5,547 316 5,972