## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01/01/2025 To 31/12/25 Charity name: East Dorset Antiquarian Society Charity registration number: 1171828**
## **Objectives and Activities**
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|**To advance education in the archaeological heritage**
**and local history of Dorset and the surrounding areas**
**through the exploration, excavation, recording and**
**conservation of archaeological monuments, the**
**conservation of antiquities and organising and**
**delivering public events such as talks, visits, training**
**and open days.**|
|---|---|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|**A key focus remains field archaeological work, when**
**possible, to advance knowledge of our heritage, and**
**members have been involved in three archaeological**
**interventions. The joint purchase of Ground Penetrating**
**Radar (GPR) equipment has, even from a few initial**
**surveys, expanded our archaeological knowledge and**
**extended our reach into the wider community.**
**A large part of any project is the work towards**
**publication, where five projects at different stages have**
**been worked upon and two published.**
**Monthly lectures provide archaeological and historical**
**information to our members, and are open to all without**
**charge. Monthly newsletters and frequent emails**
**to members provide information on our own activities,**
**other events and activities likely to be of interest, and**
**archaeological and historical articles.**
**Our website provides access to archaeological reports,**
**links for research and frequent updates on relevant**
**events and activities.**|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|**In planning our activities at trustee meetings, and in**
**carrying them out, we have kept in mind the Charity**
**Commission’s guidance on public beneft.**|
|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:||
|Policyongrant making|**N/A**|
|Policy on social investment|**N/A**|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|**EDAS has no employees or paid staff; all trustees and**
**those involved in our activities give their time**
**voluntarily without remuneration (significant personal**
**expenses may be recompensed on a basis agreed in**
**advance).**|
|Other||
## **Achievements and Performance**
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|**It proved possible to undertake only one small**
**excavation of our own, though we were able to involve**
**many members in archaeological interventions and**
**training on three sites directed by others.**
**The new jointly-owned GPR equipment, which we**
**direct, undertook four surveys as its capabilities were**
**explored and extended. These provided community**
**outreach, obtaining results for other bodies which may**
**lead to further archaeological interventions.**
**Labelling and packaging the extensive finds from the**
**Druce Farm Roman Villa Project for deposition was**
**almost completed, and completed for the Druce Farm**
**Bath House Project. Post-excavation work for the Druce**
**Farm Neolithic Project continues.**
**Reports were published in the county archaeological**
**journal on two excavations, with progress toward**
**publication of an earlier excavation delayed by illness,**
**and considerable work towards publication of two**
**excavations directed by others but with mostly EDAS**
**excavators.**
**EDAS won the prestigious Britannia Award of the**
**Roman Society for the excavation and publication of**
**Druce Farm Roman villa by volunteers.**
**We provided a full programme of monthly lectures**
**(except in summer), often attended by visitors, and**
**newsletters, both covering a wide range of subjects.**
**Eight guided archaeological walks and visits for**
**members were run during the year.**|
|---|---|
|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|
|---|---|
|Achievements against
objectives set|**N/A**|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives|**N/A**|
|Investment performance
against objectives|**N/A**|
## **Financial Review**
|**Financial Review**||
|---|---|
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|**Regular income of £3,207 and expenditure of £1,903**
**gave a surplus of £1,304. A legacy was received early in**
**the year which, with interest, totalled £26,714 of which**
**£6,000 was spent on the GPR equipment. Total funds at**
**end year were £32,779, of which £2,585 is set aside for**
**known projects, with expectations of more projects**
**resulting from GPR surveys.**
**FULL DETAILS BELOW**|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|**The minimum balance of funds to be held is reviewed**
**regularly, after deducting funds set aside for known**
**archaeological projects, and for other known and**
**anticipated expenditure and their levels of certainty.**|
|Amount of reserves held|**Standard minimum £1,000 plus funds set aside.**|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|**N/A**|
|Funds materially in deficit|**None**|
|Uncertainty about continuing|**N/A**|
|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:|
|---|---|
|The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|**The main sources of general purpose income are**
**membership subscriptions and associated Gift Aid,**
**usually more than sufficient to cover the normal costs**
**of operating, as above, leaving funds for archaeological**
**interventions. The large legacy has provided the ability**
**to extend activities, initially with the GPR purchase.**|
|Investment policy and
objectives|**We aim to earn interest on as much of the funds as**
**possible without undermining our ability to meet known**
**and anticipated expenditure in a timely fashion.**|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|**None known**|
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:||
|---|---|
|Type of governing document|**Constitution**|
|How is the charity
constituted?|**Unincorporated association**|
|Trustee selection methods|**Elected from the membership in a General Meeting**|
## **Additional information (optional)**
|
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training oftrustees|
**Eligibility checked and Charity Commission information**
**on trustees provided. Attend committee meetings and**
**‘learnon the job’ withguidance and support.**|
|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works
Relationship with any related
parties|**The charity operates through quarterly committee**
**meetings and communications between meetings.**
**EDAS is a member of, or strongly linked with, several**
**heritage organisations including Bournemouth**
**University, Dorset Natural History and Archaeology**
**Society (DNHAS), CBA Wessex, Dorset Archaeology**
**Committee and the Museum of East Dorset, though**
**without other legal or formal links.**|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|**East Dorset Antiquarian Society**|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|**EDAS**|
|Registered charity number|**1171828**|
|Charity’s principal address|**224 Leigh Road**
**Wimborne**
**Dorset**
**BH21 2BZ**|
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person**
**(or body)**
**entitled to**
**appoint trustee**
**(ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Philip John D'Eath**|**Chair**|||
||**Peter David Walker**|**Treasurer**|||
||**Geoffrey Taylor**|**Secretary**|||
||**Alan Robert Dedden**||||
||**Ian Drummond**||**01/01/25 – 12/03/25**||
||**Robert David Heaton**||||
||**Vanessa Anne Joseph**||||
||**Winston Krone**||||
||**Karen Mann**||||
||**Andrew John Morgan**||||
||**Steve Smith**||**01/01/25 – 12/03/25**||
||||||
## **– Corporate trustees names of the directors**
**N/A**
## **Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity N/A Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of assets held **None**
**Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details **N/A**
## _**Detailed accounts and examiner’s report**_
Report to the trustees/members of East Dorset Antiquarian Society On accounts for the year ended 31[st] December 2025 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 Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under s145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under s145(5) (b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement:
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 _._
Signed: _David J Long_ Date: 23 January 2026
## Relevant professional qualifications or body (if any):
Address: 13 Oakley Road, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1QJ Brief details of any items the examiner wishes to disclose: None to report
Receipts and payment accounts (all to nearest £)
|**Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**|**Last year**|
|---|---|---|
|Membership fees|2,144|1,961|
|Donations|60|83|
|Gift Aid receipts|424|417|
|Legacy|25826|0|
|Interest on legacy|888|0|
|Other interest|159|208|
|Receipts for future event|420|0|
|**Totals**|**29,921**|**2,669**|
||||
|**Payments**|||
|Room/hall hire|537|497|
|Speaker costs|300|155|
|Insurance|462|282|
|Affiliation fees|104|108|
|Other administration costs|150|589|
|Project expenditure|110|1,840|
|Payment for future event|240|0|
|**Subtotals**|**1,903**|**3,471**|
|**Asset & investment purchases**|||
|GPR equipment (50% share)|6,000|0|
|**Totals**|**7,903**|**3,471**|
|**Net receipts less payments**|**22,018**|**(802)**|
## Asset and liabilities
**Cash at banks** £32,779 of which £790 relates to a restricted fund **Physical assets** ( _note that showing cost and value are optional, so I won’t_ ) Ground Penetrating Radar equipment (50%)
Lecture equipment (laptop, projector, PA) Excavation equipment and consumables
## **Declarations**
|**Declarations**|||
|---|---|---|
|**Signature**|_P J D’Eath_|_Geof Taylor_|
|**Full name**|**Philip John D'Eath**|**Geoffrey Taylor**|
|**Position**|**Chair**|**Secretary**|
|---|---|---|
|**Date**|**9 May 2026**|**9 May 226**|