## **The Glass Society Charity Number 1185397 Chairman’s Annual Report 2021**
## **Welcome to our AGM**
The time period covered by this report is from 1 August 2020 through to 31 July 2021. This is the period of our financial year and is the reporting period required by the Charities Commission. In complying with the Charities Act 2006 and Charities Commission guidance this report contains a review of the main activities undertaken by the Society to further the charitable purposes for the public benefit during the year.
Last year we reported for the first time as The Glass Society and we are now loosely tied to reporting annually in February each year. Formally we have wound up the affairs of the old Glass Association charity, 326602, and transferred all assets, together with those of The Glass Circle across to its successor. Our banking affairs, including any savings, have been aligned to the new structure, although the old accounts are still live to assist with the collection of legacy payments.
Clearly our activities during the year have been affected by the ongoing pandemic with in person meetings being cancelled. At the time of writing the impact of the latest wave of the pandemic is lessening and our activities moving back to some form of normality. Your committee does however retain some uneasiness in respect of organising future events pending further variants of the virus appearing.
## **The Committee**
Committee meetings have been held on line, by Zoom over the course of the last year. All committee members are connected by email, so interchange of information can take place easily.
The latter part of the financial year saw the resignation of Sue Newell from the position of Joint Chairman, in order to concentrate upon the latter stages of her PhD thesis. Sue had been a major part of The Glass Circle for many years and a key influencer in the merger with the Glass Association. Her efforts, knowledge and foresight will be missed. We wish Sue well for the future.
## **Our Accounts**
Maurice Wimpory, our treasurer, has this year presented consolidated accounts and his AGM report is enclosed. Financial issues are discussed at every meeting when both Maurice Wimpory and his equivalent from the former Glass Circle, Lawrence Maxfield have attended, or been
represented. The 2020 / 2021 accounts have been examined and approved for which our thanks are extended. Our continued thanks to Maurice for pulling all this together and for having the willpower to confront the often unco-operative banking fraternity.
The pandemic has taken its toll on our membership although the success of the Zoom talks has brought in several new members especially from overseas.
Our finances remain healthy, with contributions from meetings and literature sales. In the absence of any events, the major outgoings were for the magazine and also for running the Zoom meetings.
## **Charitable Giving**
In fact charitable giving, which remains a key part of our raison d’etre, has continued to be an area a problem area for several years. We did, however, gift some money to the British Glass Foundation, £3000, to assist with the opening of the new Stourbridge Glass Museum in April 2022. More specifically The Glass Society is sponsoring a series of talks aimed partly at generating a broader audience. In addition, The Stained Glass Museum at Ely, also benefitted by £2000, from a similar type of award.
Moving forward we would aim to continue our association with the Stourbridge museum as in many ways this is our spiritual home. Steps have also been taken to develop a relationship with the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. Furthermore, we have committed a larger than usual sum to the next Biennale, which was held over from 2021 until the autumn of 2022 due to the pandemic.
## **Events**
In the absence of physical meetings, the Zoom talks assumed a major part of our activity. It rapidly became clear that on-line talks was an untapped method of keeping in touch with the membership and in this respect many organisations and societies changed tack. We now communicate with in excess of 95% of our members via the internet and the Zoom talks give us not only a national but an international reach. Throughout the year in question, attendance at the talks numbered between sixty and eighty households making them far more popular than more localised events.
Above all I would point out the variety of subjects covered by the talks, among them : Jonathan Cooke spoke on restoring stained glass using old techniques; Patricia Ferguson on Chinese reverse painted glass, Alan Thornton is a leading authority on paperweights; Nigel Jeffries likewise on C17th to C19th glass bottles found in London; Ian Freestone on the great east window in York Minster; Andy McConnell gave a Christmas 2020 address. To all these and others we are very grateful.
The success of the Zoom talks does not mean that we are set to abandon in person meetings and at the time of writing we are looking to achieve a balanced portfolio of activities. Of course the Zoom talks would not take place without a considerable behind the scenes effort and in this respect I am grateful to Anne Lutyens Stobbs for pulling things together.
Over the years most of our members have amassed considerable quantities of books on glass. Intermittently we have taken the opportunity to advertise and sell the books within the society and this has raised our profile as well as funds. This last year sales have been further boosted by Helen and Winston Turner’s collection.
## **Publications: Glass Matters**
Once again, I can report that Glass Matters continues to be a pleasing fixture of our Society. We are committed to maintaining a hard copy version which, as many members remind us, is the main point of contact they have with the Society. Our continued thanks are conveyed to our Editor, Brian Clarke, for bringing the magazine together three times a year.
We undertook a survey of members during the middle part of 2021 with the aim of discovering more about you. Overwhelmingly it seems that you are collectors, although that in itself would be a considerable understatement in describing some of you! Hopefully you will begin to see this reflected in several aspects of the magazine. I would also emphasise that collecting fosters expertise. You are often the experts in your chosen field and we need to hear more from you and more about your collections.
## **The Future**
Platitudes abound, but we are all a year older. Your society cannot continue to function and provide events, talks and publications without the input of key, dedicated people. We badly need to spread the burden and at the same time reach into other new and exciting areas. Without new hands we will eventually expire.
As ever we must make a continued plea for further involvement from our membership. Too much of our activity is vested in too few people. Technology has really helped to ease the burden, many hands, however, make light work.
Please get in touch if you would like to help in any capacity.
David Willars
Chairman, The Glass Society
Charity Name No (if any THE GLASS SOCIETY 1185397 **Receipts and payments acco For the period** Period start date Period e **To from Aug 1, 20 Ju**
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
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Unrest Restric Endow
ricted ted ment
funds funds funds
to the to the to the
nearest nearest nearest
£ £ £
A1 Receipts
Members Subscriptions &
donations 14,415 - -
Investment income 519 - -
Sales of publications 182 - -
Meetings National & Regional 30 - -
Meetings Overseas -
Bank charge refund ( 14 - -
AR) 15,160 - -
A2 Asset and investment
sales, (see table).
- - -
Sub total [ - ] - -
Total receipts 15,160 - -
A3 Payments
Office Supplies Postage & Packing.
223 - -
Website Domain Insurance
382 - -
Glass Matters 9-11 Publish
6,366 - -
Distribution
Journal Publish & Distribution -
Grants Sponsor Donation
5,839 - -
Education
Meetings National & Regional
Meetings Overseas -
Literature Scanning -
Currency Loss 111 - -
- - -
Sub total 12,921 - -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - -
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- - -
Sub total - - -
Total payments 12,921 - -
Net of receipts/(payments) 2,239 - -
A5 Transfers between funds - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 97,155 - -
Cash funds this year end 99,394 - -
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## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the e**
**Unrest ricted funds Details to nearest £ Bank Accounts ### NSI Investments ### Savings Accounts ###** _**Total cash funds**_ **###** (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) OK **Unrest ricted Details f to d nearest - - - - - - Fund to which asset Details belongs Fund to which asset Details belongs**
**Categories**
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B1 Cash funds
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## **Details B2 Other monetary assets Details B3 Investment assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use**
## **Details**
**Fund to which liability relates**
## **B5 Liabilities**
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees
Signature
Print Nam Maurice Wimp Hon Glass Society
y) 7
**ounts** end date **l 31, 21**
**CC16 a**
## **Total funds**
## **Last year**
|**14,415**
**15,618**
**519**
**505**
**182**
**177**
**30**
**1,565**
**6,500**
**14**
**-**
**15,160**
**24,365**
**to the**
**nearest**
**£**
**to the**
**nearest £**|**14,415**
**15,618**
**519**
**505**
**182**
**177**
**30**
**1,565**
**6,500**
**14**
**-**
**15,160**
**24,365**
**to the**
**nearest**
**£**
**to the**
**nearest £**|
|---|---|
|**14,415**|**15,618**|
|**519**|**505**|
|**182**|**177**|
|**30**|**1,565**|
||**6,500**|
|**14**|**-**|
|**15,160**|**24,365**|
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-
- -
15,160
24,365
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**----- Start of picture text -----**
223 1,212
382 520
6,366 7,613
3,980
5,839 2,490
1,635
6,127
907
111 -
- -
12,921 24,484
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**-**
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-
- -
12,921 24,484
2,239 - 119
- -
97,155 97,274
99,394 97,155
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pory Feb 24, 22
Treasure
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