## **Trustees’ Annual Report 2021-22** 

Newcastle Philosophy Society (NPS) 

Reporting period: 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 

_Please note that this report was produced several years after the reporting period by a board of trustees who were not involved as trustees during the reporting period. No report was submitted by previous boards of trustees for this reporting period. We have largely drawn upon archived material including email communication, social media advertisement, and minutes of meetings._ 

## Objectives and activities 

The objective of the NPS is “to advance the education of the general public in the North of England in the field of philosophy”, as noted in its Constitution. It does this through running and promoting public philosophy events. 

The following discussion groups appear to have been active during at least some part of the reporting period: _Sceptics Reading Group_ (monthly), _Women Philosophers_ (monthly), and _The Radical Subject_ (occasional). 

Minutes are present until October 2021, but not thereafter. 

## Achievements and performance 

In addition to the continuation of several groups, the minutes show that a philosophy festival was planned for March 2022. However, it is not known whether this took place, with a planned festival in September 2021 being pushed back to a planned date of March 2022 because of difficulties in finding sufficient people to organise it. 

Numbers of trustees appear to have dwindled over the reporting period, and minutes show a desire to recruit trustees as a priority. The final meeting that minutes are available for (October 2021) consists of a single trustee (the “interim chair”) calling for an Annual General Meeting “to ascertain the feasibility of the NPS”, apparently in relation to the number of trustees. We were unable to obtain a record of any AGM minutes, but emails suggest that an AGM was held on 27[th] November 2021, and we are also aware that a handover to a new Chair took place approximately during this time period. 

## Financial review 

The NPS bank account shows that income (£1,380) exceeded expenditure (£883.58) over the period (a surplus of £496.42). Expenditure was on 



insurance, Zoom subscription, Meetup subscription, and payments to a company dealing with website-related services. The sole source of income was the Royal Institute of Philosophy. The total amount of money in the NPS bank account was £5,526.93 at the start of the reporting period and £6,023.35 at the end of it. 



## Structure, governance and management 

The NPS is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation governed by a board of trustees. Trustees are appointed either at a General Meeting following a vote of members present or co-opted by the existing trustees. 

Reference and administrative details 

Registered charity name: Newcastle Philosophy Society 

Charity Number: 1180305 

Persons identified as serving as trustees during the reporting period: Nicole Dumes, John Gilliam, Alan Lynn (‘Interim’ Chair), Richard Mears, George Stoker, Georgiana Varna, Chandra Vemury (Chair). 

Exemptions from disclosure: not applicable. 

Funds held as custodian trustee on behalf of others: not applicable. 

Signed by Michael Boggon on behalf of the trustees, 24/02/2025