**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 01/10/2024 Period start date To 30/09/2025 Period end date**
**Charity name: Nottingham Astronomical Society**
**Charity registration number:1174745**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**To advance public interest and**
**education in the science of astronomy**
**and related subjects, to further the**
**knowledge of its members, to promote**
**and conduct research and observations,**
**and to provide facilities for active**
**participation in astronomical**
**observation.**|
|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 society provides venues for its**
**members to attend lectures, undertake**
**activities and work with the public on a**
**range of outreach activities.**
**Meetings are advertised to the public,**
**and various outreach activities**
**undertaken e.g. Support for school**
**courses on Astronomy, events with**
**‘Beavers’ groups in the area.**|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The Trustees are aware of the Charity**
**Commissions guidance on Public**
**Benefit and in relation to the activities of**
**the society, we consider public**
**engagement, and publicise our events;**
**plus have consideration re risks when**
**undertaking these.**|
**Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
SORP reference
**Page 1 of 12**
## **NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
||||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|**There is no formal policy on grant making**
**as these do not form part of the operation**
**of the society activities or considerations.**
**No requests have been received.**|
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|**No requirement for such policy.**|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|**Members of the society regularly assist**
**with meetings, presenting on topics,**
**support, management and development of**
**the ‘observatory’ site etc.**|
|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|**The society has held regular public**
**events each month (excluding August)**
**when speakers are arranged to give**
**presentations on various topics across**
**the wide field of astronomy and space**
**exploration etc. These are attended by a**
**good proportion of the membership of the**
**society and there has been an increase in**
**the number of visitors (general public)**
**attending these events.**
**In addition we also hold Monthly, more**
**informal meetings, to support members**
**(and visitors) with a more generalist ‘feel’**
**than the more formal presentation**
**meeting cycle.**
**Various events held at the society**
**observatory site for members.**
**We have a provided support to sessions**
**on astronomy/telescopes at various**
**Beaver club events etc.**|
**Page 2 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||||
|---|---|---|
|Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|**Other than adherence to the meeting**
**schedules and speaker arrangements,**
**including observatory management, re its**
**use and for planned events, no other**
**objectives tracked.**|
|Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|**Not applicable/non set as funds are**
**subscription and donations based.**|
|Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|**Not applicable other than bank interest.**|
|Other||**N/A**|
**Page 3 of 12**
## **NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25 Financial Review**
|**inancial Review**|||
|---|---|---|
||||
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**The Treasurer provides a yearly update**
**to members and in year updates to the**
**Society committee/trustees.**
**The year ending September 2025 saw**
**revenue rise due to increase in**
**membership fees and donations.**
**Expenses increased due to increases in**
**in meeting costs and major observatory**
**development items.**
**In general the society holds sufficient**
**cash reserves and income (subscription**
**and donations) to maintain normal level**
**of activities following higher**
**membership income for FY 2025/26.**
**As will be seen in the Balance Sheet,**
**post the yearly activity we have had a**
**decrease in our non ‘cash in hand’**
**reserves, which is a result of the**
**expenditure on the observatory**
**development activities.**|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**Reserves’ - which in our case relates to**
**all our ‘cash’ balances at the bank, is**
**maintained to facilitate Observatory**
**development, accommodate impacts of**
**increased costs for events etc., subject**
**to impacts on yearly membership**
**numbers/rates applied.**|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**£11,394**|
|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|**None**|
## **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|**In the 2024/25 year funding majority of**
**funding provided by:**
**Subscriptions 31%**
**Donations 41%**
**Gift Aid 13%**
**Other 13% (Visitors, Interest etc.)**|
**Page 4 of 12**
## **NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
||||
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**No ‘investments’ are held, other than**
**simply interest bearing bank accounts, for**
**which interest recorded and used in**
**balances for day to day activites. These**
**are split between an Instant Access**
**account and a short term Notice account.**|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|**There are no specific, identifiable,**
**immediate risks being considered but we**
**are always aware of the following:**
**Membership Numbers: - whilst accepting**
**that there will be always some drop out**
**from some membership cohorts, but we**
**are not seeingmajor changes year on**
**year.**
**Inflation: - again whilst aware of price**
**rises the most impacting on our activities**
**are room hire rates at venues etc. These**
**are considered at renewal times etc. and**
**options considered by the Trustees if**
**needed.**|
|Other||**N/A**|
**Page 5 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25 Structure, Governance and Management**
||||
|---|---|---|
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Constitution - as part of the CIO**
**registration, and defines the Society**
**Objects, Powers, Trustees, Membership,**
**Meeting and other areas of its operation.**|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO Registration 20th September 2017**|
|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|**Trustees are selected by vote at AGM**
**(December) for next year (all**
**trustees/positions are elected/re-elected**
**every year) and some specific appointed**
**to hold various positions e.g. Chair,**
**Treasurer, Secretary etc., and who also**
**form the Executive Committee of the**
**society.**
**The various functions, duties and**
**eligibility, number of, appointment,**
**meetings etc. are all covered in the**
**Constitution.**|
## **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|**The Constitution advises on information**
**to be supplied to new trustees (it should**
**be noted that Trustees are usually long**
**serving). In addition Charity Commission**
**documents are advised for review.**|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**There is an Executive Committee of**
**Trustees, and these hold positions of:**
**Chair (and Vice Chair)**
**Secretary**
**Treasurer and Membership**
**Secretary**
**and other operational aspect roles e.g.**
**Observatory Director**
**IT/Webmaster**
**Journal Editor**
**Other generalist Committee/Trustee**
**members.**
**There are no other specific wider**
**‘working’ networks.**|
**Page 6 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
**ALL Trustees are unpaid**
|||||**The Society is a member of:**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Relationship|with any related|Para|1.51|**Federation of Astronomical Societies**|
|parties||||**(FAS), although this is not engaged with**|
|||||**the management of the society, simply a**|
|||||**support organisation for -**|
|||||*** Access to Public Liability Insurance for**|
|||||**societies**|
|||||*** Resource Centre containing documents**|
|||||**providing a common framework for**|
|||||**astronomical societies and their outreach**|
|||||**activities.**|
|||||***Newsletter where societies can feature**|
|||||**their events and information.**
|
|||||**Observatory site is leased from Severn**|
|Other||||**Trent Water plc, and we have a long**|
|||||**standing relationship from 1980’s when**|
|||||**site acquired (99 year lease) - again no**|
|||||**impact with society management other**|
|||||**than terms of lease re site maintenance**|
|||||**and use etc.**|
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|||
|---|---|
|Charity name|**Nottingham Astronomical Society**|
|Other name the charity uses|**N/A**|
|Registered charity number|**1174745**|
|Charity’s principal address|**c/o**
**23 Grange Park**
**West Bridgford**
**Nottingham**
**NG2 6HW**|
**Page 7 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
**Page 8 of 12**
## **NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
**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 (if any)**|
||**Julian Paul**
**Onions**|**Chair**|||
||**Christine**
**Margaret**
**Sneddon**|**Secretary**|||
||**Andrew Charles**
**Green**|**Treasurer**|Until
19/12/24||
||**Richard Thomas**
**Severn**|**Treasurer/Membershi**
**p Secretary**|Treasurer
From
19/12/24||
||**James Dawson**|**Vice**
**Chair/Observatory**
**Director**|Vice Chair
From
19/12/24||
||**Leigh Edward**
**Blake**|**Webmaster**|||
||**William Roy**
**Gretton**|**Journal Editor**|||
||**- vacant -**||||
||**- vacant -**||||
||**- vacant -**||||
||**- vacant -**||||
||**- vacant -**||||
– Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved
> **Director name NONE**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
||||
|---|---|---|
|**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**||
|**No land/property titles**|||
||||
||||
**Page 9 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
**Page 10 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25 Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
|||
|---|---|
|Description of the assets held
in this capacity|**N/A**|
|Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|**N/A**|
|Details of arrangements for
safe custody and segregation
of such assets from the
charity’s own assets|**N/A**|
## **Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**Type of Name Address adviser None**
**Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)**
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**None**
## **Other optional information**
**None**
**Page 11 of 12**
**NAS Trustees’ Annual Report for 2024-25**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
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Signature(s)
Full name(s) Julian Paul Onions Richard Thomas Severn
Position (eg
Chair Treasurer
Secretary, Chair, etc)
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Date 31 December 2025
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**Page 12 of 12**
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||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|-|.|-|
|||[||
|INCOME AND EXPENDITURE|
|-|Changes from|
|N|2023/2024|N|2024/2025|2023/2024|
|ee|
|INCOME|£|£|%|£|£|%|%|
|a|ee|
|—|a|ne||||a|ee|||
|=|Membership subscriptions|a|2,055.00|50%|2,305.00|po|31%|12%|
|=|Donations|=|1,035.00|25%|3,030.00|41%|193%|
|:|Gift Aid|630.00|15%|947.50|13%|50%|
|:|Visitors|99.00|2%|146.00|ee|ee|2%|ee|47%|
|———|Business Reserve (savings) Interest|172.25|4%|49.62|a|ee|1%|-71%|
|a|ee|ee|
|———|Liquidity Manager 35 day (Savings) Interest|48.10|1%|202.31|3%|||321%|
|Other income|-|79.59|2%|649.00|9%|715%|
|————|a|rs|ee|ee|ee|
|:e|TOTAL INCOME|s|4,118.94|a|100%|ee|||7,329.43|100%|78%|
|;|a|
|EXPENDITURE|-|£|£|%|£|£|%|%|
|-|
|-|MEETING COSTS|a|ee|
|——|Room hire|——a|1,180.80|1,453.20|a|ee|23%|
|————|Speakers' expenses|————|=|378.74|295.34|||-22%|
|ee|ee|ee|
|:|Refreshments (meetings)|187.64|164.67|-12%|
|:|Audio Equipment|-|195.00|
|——_|Sherwood Observatory Visit|-|649.00|aee|eeee|
|—————|1,747.18|42%|po|2,757.21|38%|58%|
|a|ee|
|~|
|a|a|ee|||
|OBSERVATORY COSTS|=|
|———|::|Observatory maintenanceObservatory development|——==|549.9023.00|7,924.32-|ee|ee|ee[||1341%|
|:|Annual BBQ Refreshments|86.71|83.71|-3%|
|:|659.61|a|16%|ee|8,008.03|109%|1114%|
|———=|a|a|ee|
|ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER COSTS|
|Ss|ae|es|
|:|Website and internet|195.14|187.20|-4%|
|———————|Accountant's fees|——————|100.00|100.00|0%|
|ee|ee|ee|
|—————|Subscriptions and insurance|471.10|211.00|po|-55%|
|—————|Stationery|=|-|-|||
|Miscellaneous|-|-|
|—————|rs|ee|ee|ee|
|:|||||766.24|19%|498.20|7%|-35%|
|——|a|es|se es|
|=a|TOTAL EXPENDITURE|3,173.03|77%|11,263.44|154%|255%|
|=|LJ|a|ee|eeee|
|EXCESS OF INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE|945.91|23%|-3934.01|-54%|-516%|
|-|a|ee|
|Notes:|Z|
|——|ee|a|ee|a|a|
|.|—|
|—_—————a|_CG|[||
|NOTE ON CASH MOVEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER 2025|This note does not form part of the Accounts|
|SS-7|a|
|£|£|£|
|Cash in Current Acc Bank at 1st October 2024|1,076.45|Excess of Income over Expenditure|-3934.01|
|ee|Cash in Reserve Acc Bank at 1st October 2024|6,679.86|[||ee|
|Cash in Liquidity Acc Bank at 1st October 2024|=|||7,548.10|a|
|Cash in Hand at 1st October 2024|24.00|CASH ADJUSTMENTS 2024/2025|a|
|a|Add back:|0.00|||
|a|ee|ee|||
|Cash in Current Acc Bank at 30th September 2025|;|2,970.51|ee|Add back:|ee|0.00|||
|Cash in Reserve Acc Bank at 30th September 2025|=|649.48|0.00|
|Cash in Liquidity Acc Bank at 30th September 2025|=|7,750.41|
|Cash in Hand at 30th September 2025|24.00|Cash movements from 2023/2024 Balance Sheet:|
|Subtract amount: NONE APPLICABLE|0.00|
|ee|ee|||
|ai|ee|0.00|
|=|-a|||
|Increase/(Decrease) in Cash|-3,934.01|Cash movement|||-3934.01|
|-|
|a|yoyo|a|ee|eee|||
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1
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a BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30th SEPTEMBER 2025
ee LIABILITIES ASSETS
SjPS 2023/2024 —s 2024/2025 a 2023/2024 ee es 2024/2025
PT
PE £ £ ACCUMULATED FUND £ £ £ £ £ £
PT
14,382.50 Balance at 1st October 15,328.41
| CUT CU | aS
PCT
GO Add: Excess of income over expenditure OS ND (OG (OO CURRENT ASSETS
Sa 945.91 for the year -3934.01 Pe QOQO
a 15 0 ,328.41 ss 11,394.40 1,076.45 Business Current Account 2,970.51
a ss GO | ) 6,679.86 CO Saving Business Reserve Account 649.48 aee
ss 7,548.10 Saving Liquidity Manager 35 day Account 7,750.41
ee ss0GO OS0 24.00 ( ( Cash in hand 24.00 ee
esPTssGG OD(OO 15,328.41 SO 11,394.40
aa eGss CURRENT LIABILITIES eGDQ QS(SG DEBTORS
0.00 0.00 0.00 Amount due FROM X 0.00
ee SD(QS(DO
0.00 0.00 0.00 Amount due FROM Y 0.00
ee ee ee es es QO
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
| ee ee ee ee eses
a ee es ssGO
a ss 0.00 es eees IOO OS 0.00 QOSQ 0.00 NG 0.00
Rsss SG OD(SQ
asn 15,328.41 ss GOGO OS 11,394.40 (GQS 15,328.41 YGS G 11,394.40
We have examined the foregoing Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Rs SO
Sheet with the records of the Society produced to us, together with further
es ss
information supplied, and certify the same to be in accordance therewith. es ss
a en—QOes Richard Severn sd
Independent Auditor Treasurer, Nottingham Astronomical Society
2024/25
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1