The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Trustees' report and accounts
for the year ended 31 August 2025
Charity address: Royal Russell School Coombe Lane Croydon CR9 5BX
Contents
Trustees' report ….................................................................................................................................................. 2 Independent examination ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Receipts and payments account …......................................................................................................................... 5 Statement of assets and liabilities ......................................................................................................................... 6 Notes to the accounts …......................................................................................................................................... 7
The 1853 Society (Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Trustees' Annual Report
For the year ended 31 August 2025
Trustees
The Charity is wholly run voluntarily and managed by a committee who are elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to hold office until the next AGM. Those elected at the 2024 AGM were:
Officers
Victoria Lang Chair Lucy Argo Vice-chair Dina Mallett Vice-chair Jenna Mosimann Secretary Catherine Green Treasurer
Ordinary Committee Members
Nicola Church Amelia Davidson Catherine Gardiner Jessica Lui Julie Patterson Philippa Photiou Sarah Rihal Vicki Taylor
The committee was assisted by non-voting co-opted members, teacher representatives from both the Senior and Junior schools as well as by class representatives across the school community.
The 1853 Society (Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Structure, governance and management
The Charity is an association governed by a constitution dated 07 January 2016. All parents and/or guardians of present pupils are members of the Association and are entitled to vote in elections for the Committee.
The objectives of the Charity are to advance the educational needs of the pupils at Royal Russell School and develop effective relationships between staff, parents and others associated with the school. This is done by organising community activities which also raise funds to financially assist in the provision of equipment and facilities at the school. This means that all pupils at the school benefit from additional resources and experiences. All facilities/resources funded by The 1853 Society are available to pupils either universally or on an age basis in the case of specific Junior or Senior School funding or on the basis of interest in the case of funding for clubs.
Achievements and performance
Through the various fundraising activities undertaken during the year, The 1853 Society have been able to purchase, or contribute towards, the following (among others):
- a new school gym
-
a cricket ball machine
-
support for Science weeks and Career-focused events
-
a telescope for astronomy club
In addition, ongoing events have further strengthened the community around Royal Russell.
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have had regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on Public Benefit in preparing this report.
Signed on behalf of the committee by
Victora Lang Chair
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Report to the trustees of The 1853 Society on the accounts for the year ended 31 August 2025, charity number 1167263, set out on pages 5 to 8.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
Independent examiner's statement
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
-
the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signature: …............................................................
Date: 03/11/2025 Name: Karen Ottey
Professional body: ACA Address: 94 Weir Road London
SW12 0NB
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Receipts and payments account
for the year ended 31 August 2025
| Note | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | ||
| funds | funds | ||
| £ | £ | ||
| Receipts | |||
| Fundraising | 1 | 23,235 42,767 | 23,235 42,767 |
| Subscriptions | 24,235 34,178 | 24,235 34,178 | |
| Total receipts | 47,470 76,945 | 47,470 76,945 | |
| Payments | |||
| Fundraising expenses | 1 | 15,594 27,606 | 15,594 27,606 |
| Administrative costs | 318 751 | 318 751 | |
| Monies given to school | 2 | 47,750 78,294 | 47,750 78,294 |
| Monies given to external charities | 100 - | 100 - | |
| Total payments | 63,762 106,651 | 63,762 106,651 | |
| Net receipts/(payments) | (16,292) | (29,706) | |
| Cash funds at start of year | 112,066 141,772 | 112,066 141,772 | |
| Cash funds at end of year | 95,774 112,066 | 95,774 112,066 |
The accounts on pages 5 to 9 were approved by the Trustees at the AGM on 4 November 2025 and signed on their behalf by
…........................................ Victora Lang Chair
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Statement of assets and liabilities
As at 31 August 2025
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | |
| funds | funds | |
| £ | £ | |
| Cash funds | ||
| Cash at bank | 95,774 | 112,066 |
| Other monetary assets | ||
| Fundraising receipts due | 1,425 | - |
| Subscriptions due | 11,740 | - |
| 13,165 | - | |
| Liabilities | ||
| Payables | 522 | - |
| Net assets | 108,417 | 112,066 |
| Operating reserve | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| Available funds at end of year | 96,417 | 100,066 |
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Notes to the Accounts
Note 1 - Fundraising Receipts and Payments
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Receipts | Payments | Net | Receipts | Payments | Net | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Event | |||||||
| Christmas Fair | 1 | 16,626 13,167 3,459 | 16,626 13,167 3,459 | 16,626 13,167 3,459 | 16,152 7,688 8,464 | 16,152 7,688 8,464 | 16,152 7,688 8,464 |
| Uniform | 6,496 346 6,150 | 6,496 346 6,150 | 6,496 346 6,150 | 5,836 - 5,836 | 5,836 - 5,836 | 5,836 - 5,836 | |
| Quiz night | 790 568 222 | 790 568 222 | 790 568 222 | 431 123 308 | 431 123 308 | 431 123 308 | |
| Rfest | 748 712 36 | 748 712 36 | 748 712 36 | 188 269 | 188 269 | (81) | |
| Wine & Cheese | - 603 | - 603 | (603) | - 951 | - 951 | (951) | |
| Easter Egg Hunt | 583 | (583) | - 471 | - 471 | (471) | ||
| Russellian Ball | - - - | - - - | - - - | 20,102 17,737 2,365 | 20,102 17,737 2,365 | 20,102 17,737 2,365 | |
| Cinema | - - - | - - - | - - - | 33 367 | 33 367 | (334) | |
| Future event expenditure | - 50 | - 50 | (50) | - - - | - - - | - - - | |
| Previous years expenditure | - 87 | - 87 | (87) | 25 - 25 | 25 - 25 | 25 - 25 | |
| Total | 24,660 16,116 8,544 | 24,660 16,116 8,544 | 24,660 16,116 8,544 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 | |
| Less amounts received/paid post year-end | (1,425) | (522) | (903) | - - - | - - - | - - - | |
| Total receipts/payments | 23,235 15,594 7,641 | 23,235 15,594 7,641 | 23,235 15,594 7,641 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 | 42,767 27,606 15,161 |
Notes
1 The overall costs for this year’s Christmas Fair were higher than in previous years due to two main factors: - £2,000 relates to branded stock (umbrellas, bags and key-ring) that were unsold after the event. Some of this stock was subsequently sold during the uniform sales, and the remainder is planned to be sold at this year’s fair.
- In line with our aim to make the fair a fun family event, we hired live reindeers for the event, which added an additional cost of £1,900.
The 1853 Society
(Royal Russell Parents' Association)
Registered Charity No: 1167263
Note 2 - Monies given to the school
| 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Gym | 28,968 - | - | |
| Greenhouse Project | - | 28,295 | |
| School Tuck Shop / Mobile Van | - | 14,280 | |
| Mountain Bikes | - | 9,223 | |
| Juior Playground | 1,379 | 7,688 | |
| Cricket ball machine | 6,120 - | - | |
| Individual house bids | 1,008 | 3,713 | |
| Junior School Video Sympho | - | 2,200 | |
| Dance mirror | 2,167 - | - | |
| Y6 Hoodies | - | 2,127 | |
| Medical Mavericks | 1,595 | 1,914 | |
| Music Folders | - | 1,869 | |
| Laser Tag | - | 1,829 | |
| Careers mock assessments | 1,667 | ||
| School Library Sofas | - | 1,366 | |
| Junior School Planters | 1,217 - | - | |
| Sky Rocket (Science week) | 1,200 - | - | |
| Netball dresses | 1,000 - | - | |
| Uganda trip donation | 1,000 - | - | |
| Gowns | - | 940 | |
| Royal Russell Bids Ambassador | - | 760 | |
| Portable Keyboard | - | 682 | |
| Mountain Bike Training | - | 652 | |
| Astronomy club telescope | 429 - | - | |
| Merit Cups | - | 395 | |
| Graduation Photography | - | 328 | |
| Gift Bags | - | 34 | |
| Total | 47,750 | 78,294 |