Huddersfeld Astronomy Society 2021
27th December
Trustees Annual Report 2020-21
The Huddersfield Astronomy Society is registered as a CIO in England. Our registration number is 1178943.
Our registered address is 6 Squirrel Court Fixby, Huddersfield.
HAS was founded on 22[nd] November 2018 taking over the assets and responsibilities of a previous unincorporated association, the Huddersfield Astronomical & Philosophical Society [registered as a charity in the UK registration number 507817].
Trustees
The following personnel are currently registered as Trustees of HAS:
Robert Williams President HAS Gain Lee Observatory Director HAS Steve Maxwell Committee Member – Mr S Maxwell stepped aside as Treasurer in Spring 2021, but continues as a Trustee of HAS. This change was agreed by the Trustees. Susan Wylie Secretary HAS Justine Brown Digital Content administrator HAS Anthony Summers Instrument Curator HAS Christopher Ward Speakers Secretary HAS has given written confirmation of his intention to resign as a Trustee of HAS.
Recently, HAS has been notified that some the Trustees wished to be released from their role. Replacements have been approached and their appointment along with the upcoming resignation of 1 existing trustee will be confirmed at the next AGM in January 2022.
Organisational Structure
HAS operates with a Group of trustees – as listed above – who are responsible for ensuring that HAS meets its aims and objectives. Presently [December 2021] we operate with trustees who volunteered from within the membership of HAS. It is our intention to recruit new Trustees from outside our
Organisation, in accordance with our Constitution, as we develop deeper links with partner organisations. The current Trustees are also members of the Society's Committee.
During the period June 2020 to June 2021 COVID restrictions prevented the trustees from meeting in person. However a system of online meetings, organised via the Zoom platform, allowed the Trustees to discuss Society business based around a prescribed order of Meeting. From this decisions were made and acted upon – in an appropriate manner – by those trustees who have the necessary mandate to do so.
In July 2021, face-to-face meetings of the Committee were restarted – following current Government guidelines governing social distancing and the
rules agreed between HAS and HRUFC, from whom we rent a meeting space – to comply with government COVID-19 requirements.
Since November 2019 we have been building partnerships with two other organisations as detailed below:
a) The Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club based a Lockwood Park, Huddersfield, HD4 6EN, who we hire a room from to provide facilities to hold meetings and from where we plan to run a Basic Astronomy Course twice yearly. We have made a commitment to this organisation to continue to utilise their premises for our Meetings when the current restrictions on public gatherings cease. We ave been in discussion with HRUFC to continue our association with them for the next 12 months.
b) Stirley Community Farm, Hall Bower, Huddersfield, HD4 6RP, who we are starting to develop and observing site with, in partnership with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Activities at the Stirley Farm site are currently suspended since March/April 2020. However we have kept in contact with the Trustees at the YWT at Stirley Farm and we remain committed to build our presence at the Farm site over the coming months.
We are starting to make more detailed plans in our activities for the next 6-12 months, subject to any future changes in Government regulations
Aims and Objectives
HAS has a defined set of aims and objectives:
a) To help facilitate the observing of the objects of the night and daytime sky using suitable equipment obtained by grant funds supplied by outside organisations
b) To promote the understanding and observation of the night sky by the people of Kirklees
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c) To help cultivate links to community and educational organisations in Kirklees who have an interest in learning about the Night Sky
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d) To promote the aims of objectives of our umbrella organisation the Federation of Astronomy Societies, of which HAS is a full member We remain committed to these aims and objectives
Achievements and Performance
During 2020-21, the Astronomy Society has put on hold its development plan as outlines in the Trustees Annual report for 2019-2020.
During early 2020, HAS decided to postpone membership fees – more details in the financial review below. However since early 2021, we restarted the membership process and have been very satisfied with the return of established members and some new recruits to HAS.
We have [since September 2021] restarted our Social Astronomy meetings. These began as outdoor events until the restrictions were changed by the UK Government to hold indoor events. Again we have been delighted with the turn out to these events and we have now [December 2021] begun full meetings indoors. This will also include events with both indoor and outdoor components
We are also planning to restart our well established [before COVID] Beginners Astronomy Course in February 2021. This will be key to improving our cash flow over the coming months and beyond.
Financial Review
Because of government mandated restrictions to control COVID-19, our activities and as a consequence our financial results have been significantly impacted. Our financial position has been impacted again, in 2020-21, however steps were taken to minimise outgoing fixed costs and we still retain a healthy financial reserve.
Mr S Maxwell stepped aside as Treasurer due to family commitments and was replaced by Mr Rob Wylie who has taken on full responsibility in the role of Treasurer of HAS. This change was fully agreed by all Trustees and confirmed by a vote at a Committee Meeting. Mr R Wylie has full control of all financial affairs of HAS, including liaising with our financial accountants and as a signatory on the HAS bank account.
We restarted Membership fees in Spring 2021 and so far are encouraged by the uptake of discounted subscriptions that were available for a time as well as an influx of new memberships since.
We hope that this will help us retain our core – and expand on new - membership beyond the end of the COVID-19 crisis.
There are no funds held by a custodian trustee.
| IncomeandExpenditure | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |
| Income | ||
| Donations | f.4t.60 | f221.00 |
| Membershipsubscriptions | f802.80 | L45',7.00 |
| Lectures, Course fees&demonstrations | f0.00 | ,1,993.00 |
| Refreshments | f0.00 | L92.00 |
| Bankinterest | f0.00 | f102.00 |
| Saleofequipment | f0.00 | f3,000.00 |
| Other income | f0.00 | f.126.00 |
| f844.40 | f 5,991.00 | |
| Expenditure | ||
| Rent | f1,520.00 | f2,822.00 |
| Courserunning | f0.00 | ,128.00 |
| Equipment purchase | f0.00 | f187.00 |
| Lectureexpenses | f0.00 | f117.00 |
| Federationof AstronomicalSoc | f30.00 | f37.00 |
| PublicLiabilityInsurance | f28.00 | L27.00 |
| Refreshments | f0.00 | f46.00 |
| Officecosts | r0.00 | f.162.00 |
| Accountancy | f639.00 | f60.00 |
| Legalfees | f0.00 | f1,080.00 |
| Websitecosts | f320.00 | f,0.00 |
| Maintenance | f0.00 | f150.00 |
| Utilities | f124.97 | f.t47.00 |
| f2,661.91 | f.4,963.00 | |
| Deficit/Surplus fortheYear | -sl 817.51 | f.1 028.00 |
| BalanceSheet | |
|---|---|
| Assets | |
| Bankaccount Cashinhand |
f.76,923.14f.1.8,947.91 L206.20 f99.00 |
| Rent prepaid | f1,200.00f1,800.00 |
| f.t8,329.34f20,846.97 | |
| Liabilities | |
| Creditors | f0.00f1,089.00 |
| NetCurrentAssets | L18.329.34f.19.', |
| CluhReserves | f.l8.329.34f.19.757.91 |