ROCHDALE SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS ANNUAL REPORT
The purpose of our Society is to inform and educate the public in the practice of miniature Engineering. We also aim to stimulate the interest of younger generation(s) in general technology and, more specifically, railway technology by giving them rides on the miniature railway and encouraging them to examine the workings of the engines
Our Society operates and maintains a multi gauge miniature railway in Springfield Park, Rochdale. This park is owned by Rochdale MBC from whom we lease the railway site. The society plays an enjoyable role within the local community that uses the park providing rides and entertainment for both adults and children. Local councillors provide support when appropriate with Rochdale MBC officials, and occasionally with funding from neighbourhood grants to help improve our facilities.
The Society currently has 3 junior members who are learning to maintain and run the miniature railway, and 3 more who have moved into senior membership in the last year or so having reached the age of 16. Although junior members cannot carry passengers they are learning to drive trains whilst the track is closed to the public.
Our regular programme of monthly meetings and talks at Castleton Community Centre has continued during the year with a variety of subjects discussed. The talks are open to the public, and subsequently new members have joined the Society. We also arrange occasional visits for members to appropriate local museums. For example, this year we visited the Lancashire Mining Museum. This was particularly educational for our younger members who obviously had little knowledge of this once great industry.
The miniature railway public running sessions in Springfield Park gave almost 6000 rides up to the end of September, a near record year. All the Society activities aim to be as inclusive as possible within the limits of safety for the public and Society members. Rides on the miniature railway are available to all the diverse public who use the park. We run the Halloween and Santa Claus trains, when for a very modest (or even no) donation the public can bring their children for a ride and meet Santa Claus. This compares with more elaborate but far more expensive events run by other railway-based organisations. No child need miss out on meeting Santa and having a train ride, purely on cost grounds.
This year 3 of our junior members suggested that we run a special event to celebrate Armed Forces day. We readily gave the go-ahead, and they did essentially all the organising, involving all the local Army, Air Force and Sea Cadet Corps, and coordinating a last post ceremony. Rochdale’s Mayor attended, and she was introduced to the 3 junior members who had organised the event.
The clubhouse at Springfield Park has a small meeting room, workshop, modest
technical library, steam boiler test rig. Specialist tools are available for members to borrow. All these facilities and experience are freely available to both Junior and Senior members who are interested in model engineering.
The Society supports the local community by inviting donations for the Mayor's annual charity when running our miniature trains at a special event. We supported the Ellenroad Steam museum by mounting an exhibition of models at their monthly Open day. This supports our aims by bringing the attention of the wider public to the practice of miniature engineering.
A rolling programme of maintenance projects was completed during the closed season where members could pass on their skills to other members.
Charity Name
No (if any) 1181083
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period Period start date Period end date To from 01/10/2024 31/09/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
| Unrestri cted funds to the nearest £ A1 Receipts |
Unrestri cted funds to the nearest £ A1 Receipts |
Unrestri cted funds to the nearest £ A1 Receipts |
Restrict ed funds to the nearest £ |
Restrict ed funds to the nearest £ |
Endowm ent funds to the nearest £ |
Endowm ent funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takings | 5,960 | - | - | 5,960 | |||
| Subscriptio ns |
1,160 | - | - | 1,160 | |||
| Auctions | 209 | - | - | 209 | |||
| Donations | 355 | - | - | 355 | |||
| Miscellane ous sales |
637 | - | - | 637 | |||
| Sundries | - | - | - | - | |||
| Interest | 532 | - | - | 532 | |||
| - | - | - | - | ||||
| Sub total(G ross income for AR) |
8,853 |
- | - | 8,853 |
| A2 Asset and investm ent sales, (see table). |
- - - |
- - - |
- - - |
- - - |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale of 4 locos |
6,951 |
6,951 | |||||
| Donated Equipment |
- | - | |||||
| Sub **total ** |
6,951 |
6,951 | |||||
| Total receipt s |
|||||||
15,804 |
- | - | 15,804 |
A3 Payments
| Insurance | 2,774 | - | - | 2,774 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating costs |
1,362 | - | - | 1,362 | |||
| Speakers fees |
- | - | - | - | |||
| Maintenanc e |
781 | - | - | 781 | |||
| Publicity & Exhibitions |
28 | - | - | 28 | |||
| Sundries | 75 | - | - | 75 | |||
| Paymentsfr om fundraisers |
543 | - | - | 543 | |||
| - | - | - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||
| Sub **total ** |
5,563 |
- | - | 5,563 |
| A4 Asset and investm ent purchas es, (see table) |
- - - |
- - - |
- - - |
- - - |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchas e of 2 replace ment locos |
5,995 | 5,995 | |||||
| - | - | ||||||
| Sub **total ** |
5,995 |
5,995 | |||||
| ayments yments) A5 Trans A6 Cash year end |
|||||||
| 11,558 | - | - | 11,558 | ||||
| - - - - |
|||||||
| 4,246 | - | - | 4,246 | ||||
| f - | - | - | - | ||||
| f - | - | - | - | ||||
| 4,246 | - | - | 4,246 |
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of th
| Categori | |
|---|---|
| es | Details |
| B1 | Current account |
| Cash | Cash in hand |
| funds | savings account |
| Unrestri cted funds to nearest £ |
Unrestri cted funds to nearest £ |
Restrict ed funds to nearest £ |
|---|---|---|
| 9,328 | - | |
| 65 | - | |
| 24,212 | - |
| B5 Liabiliti es B4 Assets retaine d for the charity’ s own use B3 Investm ent assets B2 Other moneta ry assets |
Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
Details Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
33,605 | - | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agreemen t Error Unrestri cted funds to nearest £ |
OK | ||||
| Restrict ed funds to nearest £ |
|||||
| None | - | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
|||
| None | - | ||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
|||
| PollyPrairie | Locomotive s |
- | |||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
|||
| Nil | - | ||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - | |||||
| - |
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf Signature Print Name of all the trustees M Foster Michael J Foster R Hayter R Hayter
CC16a
Last year
to the nearest £
7,059 1,081 59 - 1,044 38 578 - 9,859
-
1,665 1,665 11,524
2,670 1,113 - 4,558 214 53 - - - 8,608
8,608 2,916 - - 2,916
he period Endowme nt funds
to nearest £
-
-
OK
Endowme nt funds
to nearest £
-
-
Current value (optional)
-
Current value (optional)
2,000
-
-
When due (optional)
Date of approval 1411212025 1411212025