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← British Society For Research On Ageing

2024-11-30-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From Period start date To Period end date

Charity name:

Charity registration number:

Objectives and Activities

SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document		 Para 1.17 For much of its long history, The British
Society for Research on Ageing has solely
relied on its volunteer board of Trustees to
manage the operational side of its activity. In
October 2023, the board took the decision to
appoint a part-time freelance Chief
Executive to support and oversee
operations.
The Trustees took this decision to invest in
support staff to help them deliver ambitious
targets for the charity, based on a Vision for
the organisation that has 5 interconnecting
pillars:
1.
Bring our scientist members together
2.
Educate the general public
3.
Advocate for more funding for high
quality research
4.
Raise money to provide grants to
support excellent research
5.
Enable translation of research by
relevant stakeholders
Trustees remain integral to the operational
work of the charity. They are appointed for a
term of 3 years, with the option to renew,
and are encouraged to take on a specific
role in line with their skills and experience. A
majority of the Trustees are academics
drawn from the ageing research community,
with others bringing experience from the
private and charity sectors. Applications and
nominations can be made at any time
through the year, via the BSRA website, with
candidates elected by ballot of members
either online or in person at our AGM.
The Board of Trustees is supported by a
Scientific Advisory Board, a group of 6
individuals who dedicate their time to assist
with reviewing and making decisions about
grants awarded by the society, in line with
AMRC guidelines.
All new Trustees and members of the SAB
read the guidance on public benefit issued
by the Charity Commission and sign the
BSRA Trustee register to say that they have
understood the content of the document and
the requirements of being a charity Trustee
under UK law.
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.		 Para 1.17 and
1.19		 The Trustees were committed to making
progress against the 5 pillars of the society’s
Vision. To do this they made the decision to
invest in a part time freelance Chief
Executive and part time freelance
Communications Manager, who helped them
increase the charity’s output and impact.
1.
Bring Scientist Members Together
-
The number of BSRA members
increased by over 10% and
membership broadened through
outreach to students, industry,
international researchers and
institutions.
-
Six leading figures in the field of
ageing research were invited to
share their work in our 2024
Academic Seminar Series, attracting
approximately 300 participants.
-
Our 73rdAnnual Scientific Meeting
(ASM) at the University of
Birmingham brought together
approximately 135 delegates and
over 20 speakers for 3 days of
stimulating talks, networking
opportunities and poster
presentations.
2.
Educate the Public
-
The public lecture at our Annual
Scientific Meeting is a key part of our
public outreach. The guest speaker
at our Birmingham meeting was
Professor Steve Harridge from King’s
College London, whose talk on
exercise and ageing was attended by
70 representatives from the
Birmingham 1000 Elders cohort.
-
A core objective of 2023-2024 was to
develop a public engagement
strategy to deliver on the charity’s
commitment to education. Led by our
new CEO and Communications
Manager, this strategy includes the
development of new opportunities for
members of the public to engage with
scientists in the field of research
ageing, including the launch of an
online public lecture series.
3. Advocate for More Funding
- The Chair of the Board of Trustees,
Professor Weinkove, represented the
BSRA at an event on ageing at the
Royal Society and discussed ageing
research priorities with former Chief
Medical Officer, Chris Witty, and Lord
Kakkar, Chair of the OSCHR.
to meet in person.
-
The ASM included an inaugural Early
Career Commercialisation Prize to
encourage these young researchers
to translate their laboratory research
into commercial opportunities.
Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit		 Para 1.18 On appointment to the board, all new
trustees must read the guidance on public
benefit issued by the charity commission and
sign a the BSRA trustee register to say that
they have understood the content of the
document.

Additional information (optional)

Additional information (optional) Additional information (optional) Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference
Policy on grant making Para 1.38 When awarding grants, the BSRA conforms
to the AMRC principles of peer review
guidelines, and utilises a minimum of 2 peer
reviewers (for awards exceeding £2000) and
an independent Scientific Advisory Board for
selecting projects for funding. The BSRA is
also committed to the 3Rs relating to the use
of animals in research.
Policy on social investment
including program related
investment		 Para 1.38 N/A
Contribution made by
volunteers		 Para 1.38 The BSRA is wholly reliant on volunteers in
order to function. The board of trustees are
at the heart of the society and are
responsible for its management and running.
In addition, the BSRA has a scientific
advisory board; a group of 6 individuals who
dedicate their time to assist with reviewing
and making decisions about grants awarded
by the society.
Other N/A

Achievements and Performance

SORP reference

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.		 Para 1.20 In Sept 2024 we hosted our Annual Scientific
1at the University of Birmingham with 135
delegates. This continues to provide the
BSRA with an excellent forum to discuss the
biology of ageing. The meeting includes a
public lecture, open to all members of the
public as a way to engage wider
communities in the importance of ageing
research. As part of the ASM, the BSRA also
awarded the Korenchevsky prize to enable a
young researcher to present their work at the
AGE meeting in America in 2025. This
continues to represent an excellent
mechanism to spread the message about
the BSRA to a wider audience, and also
support early career researchers in the field
of biogerontology.
The BSRA has continued to support
research into the biology of ageing through
awards of small grants to researchers in the
field. In 2024 we awarded almost £15000 to
researchers to enable them to conduct and
publish work in this field.
The BSRA has worked alongside the
Chernajovsky Foundation in 2024 to
administer a PhD award to the University of
Birmingham. The BSRA provides additional
support to this student via providing
opportunities and funding to attend and
network at our annual meeting. This project
was successfully completed in 2024.
The BSRA has also established an online
lecture series from leading scientists in the
field.

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


Achievements against
objectives set
Para 1.41
Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set		 Para 1.41
Investment performance
against objectives		 Para 1.41
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period		 Para 1.21 As of the 30th of November 2024, the British
Society for Research on Ageing has total
cash funds of £68,896. This represents a net
profit of approximately £7,378 over the last
12 months.
Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held		 Para 1.22 The BSRA do not have a specific policy on
holding reserves. However, we do not have
any financial dependencies (e.g.
employee’s) and the cash funds held by the
BSRA are more than adequate to conduct
our main aims of hosting our annual
scientific meeting and awarded small grants
to our members.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 N/A
Reasons for holding zero
reserves		 Para 1.22 N/A
Details of fund materially in
deficit		 Para 1.24 N/A
Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern		 Para 1.23 N/A

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)
Para 1.47
The principal sources of funding to the
BSRA are:
1. Donations to the charity
2. Registrations to the annual scientific
meeting
3. Membership subscriptions
Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted		 Para 1.46 N/A
A description of the principal
risks facing the charity		 Para 1.46 N/A
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)		 Para 1.25 Constitution
How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)		 Para 1.25 CIO
Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees		 Para 1.25 All trustees are subject to election by the
membership

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees
Para 1.51
All newly elected trustee’s must read the
Charity Commission document “The
essential trustee” and sign the BSRA training
register to confirm that they have read and
understood the document and the
responsibilities of a trustee. New trustees
typically spend some time observing and
shadowing existing trustee’s before taking
on a substantive role within the charity.
The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works		 Para 1.51 Responsibility for the management of the
BSRA lies with the board of trustees, who
are led by the chairperson. The trustees are
supported by the Scientific Advisory Board,
comprising 6 persons, who work with the
board of trustees to review and select from
applications for BSRA funding. The BSRA
development board are a separate panel of
volunteers whose role is to help the BSRA
secure funds to advance our aims and
deliver our core activities. The board of
trustees, scientific advisory board and
development board are all comprised of
volunteers. In Oct 2024 a CEO was
appointed to assist with the running of the
charity.
Relationship with any related
parties		 Para 1.51 N/A
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name

Other name the charity uses British Society for Research on Ageing
Registered charity number 1174127
Charity’s principal address British Society for Research on Ageing, Durham University,
Science Site, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3		 Trustee name Trustee name Office (if any) Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Dates acted if not for whole
year		 Name of person (or body)
entitled to appoint trustee (if
any)		 Name of person (or body)
entitled to appoint trustee (if
any)
Professor David
Weinkove		 Chair
Sally Bird CEO Oct 2024 on
Dr Paul Morgan Honorary Secretary
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20		 Dr Paul Potter HonoraryTreasurer
Dr BradleyElliott Communications
Dr Niharika Duggal
Dr Ira Milosevic
Dr Sophie Joanisse Grants and Awards Jan 2024 on
Elizabeth Mills
Tina Woods
Dr Charalampos
Rallis		 Nov 2024 on
Dr Diana Marcu Nov 2024 on
Dr Jon Houseley Jan 2024 on
Dr Hector Zenil Jan 2024 on
Dr James Murray Honorary Secretary Sept 2024 on
Adrian Cull Resigned March

– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved Director name

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Description of the assets N/A held in this capacity

Name and objects of the N/A charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of Name Address adviser

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

Other optional information

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s)

Full name(s) Dr Paul K Potter ~~ee~~ Position (eg Secretary, Honorary Treasurer Chair, etc) ~~ee ee~~

Date 20/9/25 ~~|~~

Charity Name No (if any)
Receipts andpayments accounts
For the period
from		 01/12/2023
Period start date		 30/11/2024
Period end date
To

CC16a

Section A Receipts and payments

Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Endowment
funds		 Total funds Last year
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Membership 4997.6 - - 4,998 4,901
Annual Scientific Meeting 59766.54 - - 59,767 29,490
Donations 8672.99 - - 8,673 3,239
Refunds - - - - 907
Grant Funds 6574.32 - - 6,574 67,480
- - - - -
- - - - -
- - - - -
Sub total(Gross income for
AR) 80,011 - - 80,011 106,017
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total -
-
-
-
-
Total receipts 80,011
-
-
80,011
106,017
~~S555~~
A3 Payments
Travel expenses and refunds 2,059 - - 2,059 5,956
Annual Scientific Meeting 37566.6 - - 37,567 35,049
Grants and Awards 14362.8 - - 14,363 79,358
Professional costs 720 - - 720 600
Subscriptions 866 - - 866 790
Website 923.32 - - 923 653
Bank and Fraudulent Charges 45 - - 45 193
Consultancy 16041.9 - - 16,042 3,264
PayPal Refunds 48.55 - - 49 -
**Sub total ** 72,633 - - 72,633 125,863

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) - - - - - - - - Sub total [ - ] - - - - ~~S~~ Total payments ~~555~~ 72,633 - - 72,633 125,863 Net of receipts/(payments) 7,378 - - 7,378 - 19,846 A5 Transfers between funds - - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 61,518 - - 61,518 81,364 Cash funds this year end ~~SS~~ 68,896 ~~=~~ - 68,896 61,518

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

30/09/2025

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
B3 Investment assets		 Signature
Details
Details
Bank account
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Details		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
68,896
-
-
-
-
-
68,896
-
OK
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
Dr Paul K Potter		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
Date of
approval
Dr Paul K Potter

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

30/09/2025

2

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of British Society for the Research into Ageing On accounts for the year ended 30th November 2024 Charity no (if any) 279932 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity ("the Trust") for the year ended 3011112024 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Act") 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 all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(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 Éotlw which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records., or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirement5 concerning the form and content of accounts set out In the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: 2810g12025 Name: Tracy Rhys-williams Relevant professional qualification(s> or body MA4T IER Oct 2018

(if any): Address: 7 Rosebarn Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 OHN Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidance for examiners). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose. IER Oct 2018