Sidmouth Science Festival Sidmouth Science Festival Trustees, Annual Report 06 ApriL 2024 to 05 April 2025 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 thirteenth Sidmouth Science Festival was held from 4" to 13" October 2024. This report provides an overviewof the festival activities as part of the annual submission of accounts to the Charity Commission. In addition to this event. it should be noted thatscience Festival related activities were held throughoutthe yearwith the widercommunity. It is also written to acknowledge that the festival demands some 1.5 man-ye8rs of effort from about 100 volunteers. The organisers are gratefulto allthe sponsors, volunteers. friends and attendees who made the events possible by giving their time and skills freely. Structure, Governance and Management Sidmouth Science Festival is 8 Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a Constitution (adopted 28 June 2016) forwhich the onlyvoting members are its charitytrustees ("Foundation" model}. The Trustees are supported by an overarching committee that is responsible fororganisingthe maln festival and complementaryeventsthroughoutthe year. This. in turn, is supported bythree subgroups that focus in detail on the festival programme. funding8nd communications. Trustees are appointed or reappointed as set out inthe Constitution at the AnnualGeneral Meeting. This year no changes were made. Whilst the SSF has no formal relationshipwith other organisations. itworks in close collaboration with many national and local scientrfic organis8tions includingthe Norman Lockyer Observatory, Exeter University, Sid Vale Association, Jurassic CoastTrust, the Met Office. Local Councils. Devonshir&
Sidmouth Science Festival Associ8tlon, Art Society of Sidmouth, Institute of Physics, Institution of Mechanical Engineers. East Devon Schools. AIISaints Church, The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group and many others. Alltrustees and subgroups givetheirtimevoluntsrilyand receive no remuneration or other benefits. Objectives The objectives of the SidmoLrth 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 (STEM) disciplines. The aim is to show howthese disciplines impact on our everyday lives by integratingscience. art. music. comedy and drama with serious technicalevents. The aim of the festival isto reach outto all parts of the community. particularlythose who would not normally engage with STEM subjects such as the more socially disadvantaged or those less confidentwith respectto this subject matter. In addition, Sidmouth Science Festival aims to play a part in promoting STEM subjects as a career option foryoung people and reinforcethe importance of STEM subjectsto our society. While the emphasis is on the- currentlyannual- festival itself. Sidmouth Science Festival also organises STEM focused events allyear round. Sidmouth Science Festivalwillfocus its activities on the Sid Valley and East Devon In planning and carrying out activities, we keep in mind the Charity Commission's Guidance on public benefit. Activities The 2024 Sidmouth Science Festival, the thirteenth, attracted about 4.000 attendances with contributionsfrom over 30 local and nationaigroups providing 31 'hands-on' activities and 23 talks through the week. Most visitors come from the East Devon area but some were from much further afield. Thi5 number does not include those who watched the talks on YouTube afterthe Festival. It was promoted online with 7.200 web site users and 27.000 page views. Social media activity included 55 TikTokvideos watched 42.850 times. 740 Xand 369 Instagram followersand 89 Facebook Posts with 1019followers.. We asked attendees for three words to describe theirexperience. The most common were Fun, Interesting, Inspiring. Exciting, educational. accessible and Inform8tive. Super Science Saturday Super Science Saturdaywas. as usu8l, held on thefirst Saturday of the Festival. Itwas held at four main locations: Kennaway House and marquee, AIISaints Church (Geology Dayl, Parish Church and the Sid Vale Association HQ. Thisyear it benefitted from good weatherwith 2,135visits and 51 volunteers on this day alone for a mix of hands-on activities andtalks. The day provided an opportunityforthe publicto engage with a whole range of schools, institutions, university Outreach and other public bodies in a wide varietyof STEM related activities. Contributors included University of Exeter. Exeterscience Centre. Exeterschool. Coiyton Grammar, Sid Valley Radio, Institute of Physics. Met Office, Exeter College. Petroc College. Exeter Maths School. the NationalTrust Supporters group. Plymouth University. Exetercommunity Energy, Southampton Universlty, Geologists
Sidmouth Science Festival Association, Lyme Regis Philpot Museum. Devonwildlife Trust, Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, Royal Geographical Society, Devonshire Association, PaLeo Games and a many localvolunteers running a wide range of 'hands-on' activities. Family Fun Day The Family Fun Daywas. as usual. held onthefinal Sundayof the Festival atthe Norman Lockyer Observatory {NLO). Itwas a busy daywith 610 attendees and 100volunteers. Contributors included Space Detectives. Space Exe. Leonardo Helicopters. Blue Streak Rockets. Devon Science. and the ever- popularjet car races, as well as access tothe HistoricTelescopes and Domes, Planet8rium and Storytelling. Other Activities During Festival Week Talks were held throughoutthe week at a range of venues. They included a talk commemoratingAda Lovelace Day about renewable domestic energy. Panel Discussions included farming practices and how to become a Citizen Scientist. An eveningof'science in the Pub, atthe Blue Ball Inn covered subjects such as magic mushrooms, bird song and climate change. Outings included a Geologywalkalongthe Sidmouth Seafront, Field Trips in collaboration with the Sid Valley BioDiversity Group to Mutters Moorto lookat Ferns and to Knapp Orchard to look at lichens. LoGal businesses were atso involved by hosting parts of a"Chemical Elements Quiz" which required members ofthe public to identify different elements of the periodictable. Local schools were actively involved in the week's activities. This yearfs Schools, Art competition was on the theme of 'ThingsWe ThrowAwaW. The Primaryschoois contributingwere: Awliscombe. Feniton, Newton Poppleford. 0eLl, Payhembury. Sidbury. Sidmouth. St. John's. Tipton Stjohn, West Hill and Whimple. Additional school activities included Bug Hunting. Tree Identification and Stream Flow Measurements in the Sid River. Exhibition contributions came from Colyton Grammar. Exeter School, Exeter Maths School and Sidmouth Scouts Financial Review Monies are raised each yearto finance eachfestivaland are spent on running costs. SSF does not have property. or assets or salaried staff to support on an ongoing basis. Any surplus money raised in 8nygiven year is used as a fLoatto support the running costs of thefollowingyear's festival. There are no funds in deficit. The annual Accounts are shown as anAppendixto this Report. Thisyearthe SSF received 30% less income than the previous year. and the float currently stands at about one year's expenditure. This is in line with thetargetoutiined in our reserves policy. ReseNes Policy The reserves policy is to hold enough fijnds to coverthefollowingyear. The SSF is highly dependent on grants and on donations from attendees atthe Science Festival, levels of which are uncertain from yearto year. Financialcommitments are required well in advance of the festival and before the status of grants is known. Afurther consideration isto make sure there is a minimum level offunds available to meet commitments in case the charity had to bewound down unexpectedly at a time of maximumfinancial exposure (egjust before FestlV8lWeek).
Sidmouth Science Festival Future Plans We aim to sustain an annualsidmouth Science Festivaland related activities. keeping its tried and tested format whilst incorporating innovation and current scientific research. Where possible we will leach out to new audiences in the Sid Valley and East Devon. Declaration The trustees decl8rethat they have approved the trustees. report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees: Name: Michael Pincock Position: Chairman Signature: Date: kg/s1202 5
Sidmouth Science Festival Annual Accounts submitted to the Charity Commission (HARITY COMMISSIO fOSi INGLANO ANO WAL£ Receipts and payments accounts To CC16a Section A Recei ts and ments In3 ir&s 11 17 pl1•ee t) C••h f¢wKkn la•ty¢werid ITJ19 IT5 17 19 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Ciiieotiisys Deiails 81 Cash