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2020-12-31-accounts

2020

Trustees' Annual Re ort for the eriod p p

Period start date Period start date Period end date
From 01 01 2020 To 31
12		 2020

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society Other names charity is known by N/A Registered charity number (if any) 1186764

Charity's principal address

144 Chichester Road

Cleethorpes North East Lincolnshire Postcode DN35 0JJ

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for whole
**year **		 Name of person (or body) entitled to
appoint trustee (ifany)
Michael Brightmore Chair 11.03.2020 topresent Societymembership
Susan Parr SocietySecretary 11.03.2020 topresent Societymembership
Ann Croft 11.03.2020 to
10.03.2021		 Society membership
Christopher
Truelove		 10.03.21 to present Society membership
Barrie Watts Society assistant
chair		 11.03.2020 to present Society membership

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year
N/A

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

TAR

March 2012

1

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

The society / CIO is governed by its constitution which was reviewed and amended 29[th] April 2019.

The society / CIO is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted registered on 5[th] December 2019. (eg. trust, association, company)

Trustee selection methods

The charity trustees, along with the society’s committee members, are elected from the general membership at each annual general meeting. All posts are open to each of our members and are advertised prior to the AGM.

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

The elected trustees operate within the society’s organisational structure to ensure that its activities and expenditure are in line with and support the CIO’s charitable and public benefit objectives. The principal risks facing the charity are financial. These are a drop in membership numbers, being unable to hold revenue generating meetings and a fall in donations. These risks are driven by the necessary restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Section C Objectives and activities

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

The objects of the CIO are to advance education in the science of astronomy and related subjects by furthering the knowledge of its members and amongst the local community, promoting and conducting observations and by providing facilities for active participation in astronomical observation.

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March 2012

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We are an astronomical society with an observatory and meeting room situated at Beacon Hill, Montgomery Road, Cleethorpes, DN35 9JQ. Although a members’ society, all our activities are open to the public and promoted on our website and via Facebook and the local press. We organise talks, sessions for newcomers to astronomy, informal meetings, and outreach sessions for schools, scouting groups and other organisations.

The society website www.cleethorpesastronomy.org.uk Is well maintained and a regular source of information. During 2020 the site was accessed by 1632 users.

In addition to open evenings, the society traditionally opens its premises to the public to observe Solar events such as eclipses and Mercury and Venus transits.

Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)

The Trustees of Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society are in possession of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and comply with the requirements under section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to ensure that the activities of the society are available to and suitable for the public at large. The prioritising of public benefit is regularly reviewed at trustee and committee meetings, for example to prevent exclusion, particularly of younger people, through the cost of subscriptions and charges. The Trustees ensure that the society caters for a wide variety of interest, commitment and abilities.

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March 2012

3

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

At the end of 2020 the society’s financial position was healthy. Cash funds had increased from £4069 to £13742. No specific reserves are held. The society is a simple organisation. The financial position at any time is easily reviewed. Designation of reserves has been judged to be unnecessary. The CIO does not award grants nor invest any funds.

You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:

The closure of the observatory and meeting room during Covid has enabled improvements to the building and facilities to be undertaken. This work has been assisted by the award of a Covid-19 Business Support Grant of £10,000. This work, when completed, will provide a safer and more comfortable environment for our members and visitors.

The society has no paid staff, so all its activities are undertaken voluntarily by its members. These include secretarial, governance, organisation of meetings and speakers, practical observing, catering for beginners, outreach, open evenings, upkeep of premises and grounds, website maintenance, publicity and social interaction.

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March 2012

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Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Like most other organisations the Covid pandemic seriously impacted our activities throughout most of the year. 2020 started well with a full programme of well-attended meetings taking place at our Beacon Hill observatory.

Our monthly main meetings included talks by society members and professional astronomers with topics featuring astronomers from history, Eta Carinae, liquid mirrors and the Cassini mission to Saturn. These meetings were publicised on our website and in Facebook and new members and

visitors were warmly welcomed. The Beginners’ sessions, Informal social evenings together with the combined Trustee and Committee meetings all took place as normal at the observatory.

When the pandemic caused the closure of our premises the decision was taken to continue our meetings schedule using the computer-based programme ‘Zoom’. This medium proved to be successful as it allowed presentations to be shown and members and guests were able to see and talk to each other. Unfortunately not all of our members and visitors were comfortable with or able to use the technology, but others joined us who would otherwise have been unable to attend physical meetings.

OUTREACH

The darker evenings early in the year encouraged our usual flurry of outreach visits to the observatory. These included several visits by the Queen Mary Infants Academy, the 5[th] Grimsby Scartho cub scouts and the first New Waltham Scouts. These visits were hosted by the society’s STEM ambassador and other members where the visitors learned about astronomy, the equipment we use and, whenever possible, take part in practical observation. Regrettably such visits have had to be suspended because of COVID.

BEGINNERS’ SESSIONS

The first national lockdown due to the pandemic caused the Beginners’ sessions to end in March 2020. This did allow the series of talks on how we came to our present understanding of the universe to be completed. These talks covered some well-trodden ground but also sought to highlight often overlooked contributions. The brilliant achievements of the ‘Harvard’ women such as Williamina Fleming, Annie Jump Cannon, Antonia Maury, Henrietta Leavitt and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin were all highlighted. The fact that catholic priest Georges Lemaître proposed and provided experimental evidence for the expansion of the universe and the Big Bang theory two years before Hubble was also discussed. It is a nice illustration of how religious belief does not have to be at odds with science. We also took the opportunity during that final session to hand round a questionnaire asking what attendees would like included in the 2020-21 programme. This was the first-time a questionnaire successfully gave us clear guidance for the next programme.

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March 2012

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

Once we all became familiar with Zoom, the society committee agreed a proposal to take the 2020-21 cycle of sessions on-line for as long as the pandemic required it. All sessions were hosted by John Dunthorne and he was responsible for sending out the links to participants.

Attendance proved to be very good, averaging 19 per session. It was decided not to charge and the sessions were essentially run as the society’s contribution to the public good during the pandemic. Almost every month, John Dunthorne had at least one, and sometimes several, enquiries about joining the sessions. Some people have found the on-line format very convenient and probably would not have travelled to the observatory, but we have gained several new people who seem intent on long-term involvement with the society. Our two Year 11 students (one girl, one boy) have continued to attend and a new Year 11 girl has joined. Strict child protection procedures were followed.

Because there have not been any observation sessions, the programme has been followed exactly. One additional session, focussing on imagery of the region around Orion, was given by our own member, Peter Rea FRAS, in January. Audience feedback has been consistently positive.

INFORMAL MEETINGS

The Informal Meetings provide a platform for members of the Society and visitors to openly discuss and share their particular astronomical interests with others. We had novices attending alongside those with considerable experience and understanding. For this reason, each evening had a different selection of topics, all well prepared and presented by the members.

We started the year meeting at the Observatory but with the restrictions placed on everyone as a result of the COVID Pandemic, our meetings were held using Zoom, the cloud based video conferencing service.

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March 2012

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

The format of our Meetings did not change. Each presentation and following discussion lasted about 20 minutes. The subjects ranged from astrophotography, spacecraft and missions, scientists, astronomers, astronomical events, astrophysics. We had a virtual Christmas Meeting with a presentation of the astronomy connected to the Christmas Star, a members’ quiz “Who are they?” and went down memory lane with the photos from the Society’s trip to watch a solar eclipse in Africa.

As it is less daunting to ask questions in front of a small group, an “Open Forum” was introduced. This meant that members and visitors could ask questions about a particular subject that interested them and would be given answers by others more au fait with the subject. This proved to be successful.

Not everyone was not obliged to produce a presentation or question but just to come and appreciate the interesting short talks and photographs given by others and join in the ensuing discussions. There was a core group of 12 members who attended regularly. The Informal Evenings present a chance to meet with fellow astronomical enthusiasts in a relaxed friendly atmosphere. The smaller number did allow all to participate and take part in the discussions.

STEM commitment

The CIO takes seriously its objective to advance education in the science of astronomy and related subjects. Schools and youth organisations are encouraged and return year after year. Several of our members are retired teachers and familiar with the requirements of the National Curriculum key stages 1 and 2. We are also keen to include the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and our STEM ambassador recently received a certificate of appreciation for this work. We also work closely with the scouting organisation in order to match our presentations with the requirements of the various astronomy badges.

The society / CIO sees itself as a valuable and needed service to the local community. When a member of the public develops an interest in astronomy or acquires a telescope for themselves or a child they need somewhere to go to learn about this new hobby. Assisting them to progress is in line with our objectives.

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Section D Achievements and erformance p

The Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society is a longestablished and well-respected organisation which recently celebrated its 50[th] anniversary….

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

charity’s policy on reserves

The society is a simple organisation. The financial position at any time is easily reviewed. Designation of reserves has been judged to be unnecessary.

Details of any funds materially There are no funds in deficit. in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

The society’s principal sources of funds are membership subscriptions and meeting, visitor, raffle and refreshment charges. These are supplemented by donations, including those given in response to outreach activities.

No specific fundraising objectives were set other than collection of subscriptions, visitor and meeting charges etc. These funds were collected as expected.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Susan Elizabeth Parr Full name(s) Michael Victor Brightmore Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair Secretary etc) Date 06 October 2021

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March 2012

9

Cleethorpes and District Astronmomical Society Cleethorpes and District Astronmomical Society Cleethorpes and District Astronmomical Society 1186764 1186764 1186764 CC16a
For the period
from		 01-Jan-20 To 31-Dec-20
Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest £
1,078
175
186
300
36
-
33
10,000
11,808
-
-
-
11,808
30
-
25
-
831
85
-
456
-
418
290
-
-
2,135
-
-
-
2,135
9,673
-
4,069
13,742		 Restricted
funds
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Endowment
funds
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 Total funds
to the nearest £
1,078
175
186
300
36
-
33
10,000
11,808
-
-
-
11,808
30
-
25
-
831
85
-
456
-
418
290
-
-
2,135
-
-
-
2,135
9,673		 Last year
to the nearest £
MembershipSubscriptions 1,078 -
On the doorpayments 175 -
Visit Donations 186 -
Other donations 300 -
Refreshment Payments 36 -
Book sales - -
Raffle money 33 -
Grants 10,000 -
Sub total(Gross income for
AR)		 11,808 -
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
- -
Sub total - -
Total receipts
A3 Payments
-
Speaker fees and expenses 30 -
NELC Rent and Rates - -
Water supply payment to allotment soc 25 -
Refreshements - -
Maintenance 831 -
FAS Membership& PLI 85 -
Other insurance - -
Electricity 456 -
Major buildingwork - -
Astro equipment and consumablles 418 -
Non-astro equiment and consumables 290 -
- -
- -
**Sub total ** 2,135 -
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
-
-
**Sub total ** - -
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments)
A5 Transfers between funds
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end
-
9,673 - - 9,673 -
- - - - -
4,069 - - 4,069 -
13,742 - - 13,742 -

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

06/10/2021

1

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
B5 Liabilities
B3 Investment assets		 Signature
Details
Details
Cash held as cash
NatWest current account
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Details		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
2,181
-
11,561
-
-
-
13,742
-
OK
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name		 Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
OK
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
Date of
approval

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

06/10/2021

2