Sidmouth
Science
Festival
Sidmouth Science Festival Trustees,
Annual Report
06 April 2023 to 05 April 2024
Sidmouth Science Festival. also known as SSF
Registered Charity No. 1168115
Bickwell Gardens,
Stadway Meadow.
Sidmouth
EX10 8TB
Trustees
Michael Pincock- Chairman
Rita Hedley- Treasurer
David Bramley
Peter Daniel
Robert Miles
Christopher Lockyear
Alan Clarke
Introduction
The Iwelfth Sidmouth Science FestiV81 was held from 6" to 15" October 2023.
This report provides an overview of the festival activities as part of the annual submission of accounts to
the Charity Commission. In addition to this event. it should be noted that Science Festival related
activities were held throughout the yearwith the wider community.
It is also writlen to acknowledge that the festival demands some 1.5 man-years of effort from over 100
volunteers. The organisers are grateful to all of Ihe sponsors. volunteers, f riends and attendees who
made the events possible by giving their time and skills freely. This year some 34 local and national
groups took part.
Structure, Governance and Management
Sidmouth Science Festival is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a Constitution
(adopted 28 June 2016} for which the onlyvoting members are its charitytrustees I"Foundation" modell-
The Trustees are supported by an overarching committee that is responsible for organisingthe main
festival and complementary events throughout the year. This. in turn. is supported by three subgroups
that focus in detail on the festival programme. funding and communications.
Trustees are appointed or reappointed as set out in the Constitution at the Annual Gener81 Meeting. This
year a number of changes were made. The role of Chairman was changed to Michael Pincock. The
previous Chairman. David Bramley remains a Trustee. Pamela Burtt stepped down from the trustees.
including her role as Secretary. The Secretary duties have been taken up by the Chairman.

Sidmouth
Science
Festival
Whilst the SSF has no formal relationship with other organisations it works in close collaboration with the
Norman Lockyer Observatory, Exeter U niversity, Sid Vale Association. Jurassic Coast Trust, the Met
Office, Local Councils, Devonshire Association. Art Society ot Sidmouth, Institute of Physics, Institution
of Mechanical Engineers, East Devon Schools and many other local and national scientific organisations.
All trustees and subgroups give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
Objectives
The objectives of the Sidmouth Science Festival. as outlined in the SSF Constitution, are as follows..
to inform, to inspire, to promote and to advance the education of the public in science,
technology, engineering and mathematical ISTEMI disciplines. The aim is to show how these
disciplines impact on our everyday lives by integrating science, art. music. comedy and drama
with serious technical events.
The aim ofthe festival is to reach out to all parts of the community, particularly those who would
not normally engage with STEM subjects such as the more socially disadvantaged orthose less
conf ￿dent with respect to this subject matter.
In addition, Sidmouth Science Festival aims to play a part in promoting STEM subjects as a
career option for young people and reinforce the importance of STEM subjects to our Society.
While the emphasis is on the - currently annual- festival itself, Sidmouth Science Festival also
organises STEM focused events all year round.
Sidmouth Science Festival will focus its 8Ctivities on the Sid Valley and East Devon
In planning and carrying out activities, we keep in mind the Charity Commission's Guidance on public
benef it.
Activities
The 2023 Sidmouth Science Festival, the twelfth, attracted 3,200 attendances across 80 events with
most people coming from the East Devon area but some from much further afield. This number does not
include those who have watched the talks on YouTube after the Festival. It was promoted locally on
Facebook. X and Instagram.
We asked attendees for three words to describe their exp8rienGe. The most common were Fun, Great,
Interesting, Amazing. Exciting, Educational, Creative and Informative.
Super Science Saturday
Super Science Saturday was. as usual, held on the first Saturday of the Festival. This year it benef itted
f rom good weather with 1.400 visitors and 49 volunteers on this day alone. Hands-on activities were well
attended and further enhanced by the Make and Take marquee on the lawn at Kennaway House.
The day provided an opportunity for the public to engage with a whole range of schools, institutions,
university outreach and other public bodies in a wide variety of STEM re18ted activities. Contributors
included the Met Office, University ot Exeter Optics and Photonics, Exeter Science Centre. Exeter Maths
School. Exeter School, University of Exeter Outreach, Royal Geographical Society, Geologists
Association, Devonshire Association IGeology Section), Institute of Physics, Institute of Civil Engineers,
Royal Society of Chemistry, Exmouth U3A and Colyton Grammar School.

Sidmouth
Science
Festival
The Geology Hub continued to be very popular with talks as well as hands on activities. Subjects of talks
included The Giant Granite Boulders of Hueigoat, Sea Level Changes and Cave Records in South Devon.
The Great Giant Clam Hunt and New Fossil Discoveries from the Triassic Red Rocks of Sidmouth.
In addition, the Methodist Church Hall was a hub for making things to take home with Technology for Fun.
Darlh Vader was also to be seen wandering around between the venues and around town.
FamiLy Fun Day
The Family Fun Day was. as usual. held on the f￿rnal Sunday of the Festival at the Norman Lockyer
Observatory INLOI. This year the day was sunny and the event was especiallywell attended. There was
plenty to do with Space Detectives, Sciencedipity, Science Boffins, Leonardo Helicopters and the ever-
popular jet Car races, as well as access to the Historic Domes, Planetarium and Storytelling. A talk on
I nterstellar Tours was given by Brian Clegg.
Other Activities During Festival Week
There was a wide variety of activitles held throughout the week at a range of venues around the town.
T81ks during the week at the various venues were again ot a high calibre with over 20 speakers: Science in
the Pub took place at the Blue Ball in Sidford with fascinating talks from the University of Exeter and the
Science FestivalTeam. Emily Summers, Project Development Engineer with Simply Blue Group gave the
Ada Lovelace Day talk on Floating Offshore Wind Projects on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers: Dr Andy Middlebrook gave us the lowdown on the Pros and Cons of the latest sports.
technology: Stonehenge was the subject of the Art Society of Sidmouth talk given by Dr Julian Richards: a
visit to the Knowle Flood Relief Scheme was preceded by 8 t81k about the flood defence by Paul
Hargreaves and Gloria Rugual Munoz from Jacobs Engineering. This was followed by another local topic
from Professor Brian Golding on Severe Thunderstorm Warnings. Professor Ashe Toye gave a particularly
interesting talk on Lab Grown Blood and Freya Thomson-Alberts talked about ¢ons8rvation at th8
National Marine Aquarium Plymouth.
An Environment Day was held on the first Sunday which was based around food and food production. The
day was enhanced by presentations from a group of Italian students from Sidmouth International School.
On the final S8turday, Colin Walls ran a very popular robot workshop. In Kennaway House there was a
successful Biodiversity Day with well-attended talks about Pine Marten5, Butterflies, The Rivers Sid and
Camel and the very topical River S8wag8 Pollution Scandal.
Visits this year were to the Energy from W8Ste p18nt ai Exeter, walks were fungi recognition and a Harvest
Mouse Nest Survey as well as History walks around the Norman Lockyer Observatory. The Observatory
also provided two evenings of live streaming of their telescopes.
The Festival has 8 very strong Schools 'progr8mme too with over 800 primary school pupils benetitting
from the workshops, comprising 11 hands-on activities across 12 local schools. EDDC countryside
rangers led workshops in kick samplingand bug hunts in the Byes in Sidmouth and on the Riverotter in
Newton Poppleford with Sidmouth CE. St John's International and Newton Poppleford Primary Schools.
Year 516 from St John's International School and Sidmouth Primary took part in a tree search provided by
Sidmouth Arboretum and Year 516 from Sl John's International School also did stream flow measurement
in the Sid.
This year's Schools. Art competition was on the theme ofweather. This resulted in 1400 hexagons from
11 schools being produced by the schools and exhibited at Kennaway House. The Primary schools
contributingwere.. Awliscombe. Feniton, Newton Poppleford, Offwell, Payhembury, Sidbury, Sidmouth,
St. John's. Tipton St John, West Hill and Whimple.

Sidmouth
Science
Festival
Sidmouth College benefitted from a visit from Engineer Hannah Nobbs, Dorset and Somerset Air
ambulance and Years 7 and 8 had a Science Magic Showwith lan Dunne who also gave a performance at
the Youth Club.
Financial Review
Monies are raised each year to finance each festival and are spent on running costs. We do not have
property, or assets or salaried staff to support on an ongoing basis. Any surplus money raised in any given
year is used as a float to support the running costs of the following year's festival. There are no funds in
deficit. Our annual Accounts are shown as an Appendixto this Report.
This year the SSF received more income than in previous years. and the float currently stands at about
one year's expenditure. This is higher than the target outlined in our reseNes policy but we expect this to
be temporary. We continue to be heavily reliant upon grants but anticipate increased expenditure due to
higher cost of facilities hi re, higher payments to professional presenters and increased use of paid 'back
orfice. support in response to technology and social media developments.
Reserves PoLicy
The SSF is highly dependent on grants and on donations from attendees at the Science Festival, levels of
which are uncertain f rom year to year. Financial commitments are required well in adv8nce of the festival
and before the status of grants is known.
Afurther consideration is to make sure there is a minimum level of funds available to meet commitments
in case the charity had to be wound down unexpectedly at a time of maximum financial exposure legjust
before Festival Weekl.
In practice, this means holding enough f unds to cover the following year.
Future Plans
We aim to sustain an annual Sidmouth Science Festival and related activities, keeping its tried and tested
format whilst incorporating innovation and current scientific research. Where possible we will reach out
to new audiences in the Sid Valley and East Devon.
Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees, report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees:
Name.. Michael Pincock
Position: Chairman
Signature-
Date:
I f[?/25

Sidmouth
Science
Festival
Annual Accounts submitted to the Charity Commission
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOFI ENGLAND ANO WAIES
Receipts and payments accounts
CC16a
For the porlod
from
To
Section A Recei
ts and
ments
Unr05tilcted
funds
R•strl¢l•d tunds
Endowtneiil
funds
Total funds
La•t year
to th• n•or•4t
to th• n••r•4¢£
to th• rw•sl e
A1 R•co1 ts
GranLS and $
Advoitisin
9,718
17,711
12J•
2.566
2,058
550
I,so•
2,437
916
kei sal¢
Other
2.651
550
Sub total(Gmss incom8 lorAR)
A2 Assot and Investmont $al•s,
s•• tabl•
15.400
23,4
1J,160
Sub total
Tol41 r•c¢lpl8
15.490
9,000
2J,4
13,160
AJP
m•nts
Communicattong
382
vtrues ano 110sPrtallty
S￿4k*fI, pro￿nIers, evenli
Geneiai admin
795
235
Sub total
6,000
17,809
1•,2J2
A4 Assèt and Invgslmont
urchas•s
sé• t•bl•
Sub total
Totalpaym•nt$
9,809
8,000
17,109
18262
Net of r¢e¢lplW(wym•nt8J
A5 Transfors botw•en funds
A6 Cash funds last y•ar end
Ca•h lundJ th1• year end
5,681
S.102
11.B37
17.519
16.939
11,837